File Path in XML

Hi all,

I'm creating a progam in C# that reads a file location at start up and displays the parent folders in a combo box. This file location may change in future. So I intend to keep this in an xml file and allow the user to change it when needed. But how do I go about it? I have not done any coding with xml yet. So, please help.

Thanks

there is no need to use XML for this issue;
XML is mostly used for Tree-Like data;
instead i suggest you use such code:

i used simple logic in my code that you can use it and apply it to any Console or Windows app.

Code:

---

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;

namespace FileReadWrite
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            SavePath(@"c:\myfolder2");

            string appPath = GetPath();

            if (appPath != String.Empty)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(appPath);
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("app.log file does not exists!");
            }


            Console.ReadLine();

        }

        public static void SavePath(string pathName)
        {
            File.WriteAllText("app.log", pathName);
        }

        public static string GetPath()
        {
            if (File.Exists("app.log"))
            {
                string strPath = File.ReadAllText("app.log");
                return strPath;
            }
            else
            return String.Empty;
        }
    }
}

---

Yes, this is the issue. If, in future, I need to change the path from "c:\myfolder2" to "c:\myfolder1", how will the user do it without opening the source code?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shers

Yes, this is the issue. If, in future, I need to change the path from "c:\myfolder2" to "c:\myfolder1", how will the user do it without opening the source code?

---

well, just dont hardcode it, and make a FolderBrowserDialog to let the user choose a path;

Code:

---

//need this for the dialog 
using System.Windows.Forms; 
 
FolderBrowserDialog Finder = new FolderBrowserDialog(); 
 
//dialog title 
Finder.Description = "find a folder"; 
 
//you can hide the abillity to create new folders 
Finder.ShowNewFolderButton = false; 
 
//this is where the dialog starts 
Finder.RootFolder = System.Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop; 
 
//here we could call the dialog by Finder.ShowDialog(); 
//or make an if-statement to check if a folder was choosen 
if ((Finder.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK) && Finder.SelectedPath != null) 
{ 
    string path = Finder.SelectedPath; 
}

---

and if you want to move all the content just copy everything from the first folder recursively to the next.

Code:

---

public static void RecCopy(string source, string destination)
{
    // Create the destination folder if it's not there.
    if (!Directory.Exists(destination))
    {
        Directory.CreateDirectory(destination);
    }
    DirectoryInfo dirInfo = new DirectoryInfo(source);

    // Copy all files.
  foreach (FileInfo fileInfo in dirInfo.GetFiles())
        fileInfo.CopyTo(Path.Combine(destination, fileInfo.Name), true);

    // Recursively copy all sub-directories.
    if (dirInfo.GetDirectories().GetLength(0) > 1)
    {
        foreach (DirectoryInfo subDirectoryInfo in dirInfo.GetDirectories())
            RecCopy(subDirectoryInfo.FullName, Path.Combine(destination, subDirectoryInfo.Name));
}

---

well;

change this line

SavePath(@"c:\myfolder2");

to

Code:

---

string pathStr;
Console.Write("Please enter new path:");
pathStr = Console.ReadLine();
SavePath(pathStr);

---

that is when you use ConsoleApp but if your application is windows app with GUI then you can use some control like TextBox to get the path from the user then save it in the file.

Code:

---

string pathStr = textBox1.Text;
SavePath(pathStr);

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jensecj

well, just dont hardcode it, and make a FolderBrowserDialog to let the user choose a path;

---

yes, FolderBrowserDialog is another good approach.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jensecj

FolderBrowserDialog Finder = new FolderBrowserDialog();

---

Hint: always let your objects begin with lower case; i think it is called Hungerian Naming Standard.

Code:

---

FolderBrowserDialog finder = new FolderBrowserDialog();

---

I'm sorry, I don't agree to this method of FolderBrowser, coz everytime the user opens the app, he has to browse to the location to run the app. So, is there a way to allow the user to change the location when required, as it happens once in a blue moon.

Use the Settings file! It's what it was invented for..

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...69(VS.80).aspx

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by toraj58

Hint: always let your objects begin with lower case; i think it is called Hungerian Naming Standard.

---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_notation
Not a standard, and not really necessary in today's apps. It is also unrelated to the convention of putting the first letter of an instance variable in lowercase. That is called camelCase (vs PascalCase, UPPERCASE, Titlecase and lowercase)


See
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms229045.aspx
and
http://poke53280.net/Programming/Standards.aspx (http://www.irritatedvowel.com/Progra...Standards.aspx)

i don't think that for this case we should refer to wikipedia.

this is a global convention between programmers that they do like this:

1- Begin the first letter of a class with Capital Letter; e.g.: Class Foo
2- Begin the first letter of the object with lowercase; e.g.: Foo foo1 = new Foo();
3- Begin a constant with all Upper Case Letters; e.g.: const MAXARRAYNUM = 100;
4- Naming Methods like CamelCase; e.g.: WriteLine()
5- Begin Interface name with capital I like IDisposable
6- beging bool with Is like IsNumeric

and bela bela.

some companies applay their own naming convenntion to code and make all coders adhere to it.

but when you code for yourself or others to help them it would be better that you notice to these naming conventions.

In C# the general convention is as follows:

local variables - camelCase
method parameters - camelCase
private fields - camelCase (usually prefixed with '_', e.g. _myField)
Properties - PascalCase
Methods - PascalCase
Class names - PascalCase
Constants - PascalCase

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shers

I'm sorry, I don't agree to this method of FolderBrowser, coz everytime the user opens the app, he has to browse to the location to run the app. So, is there a way to allow the user to change the location when required, as it happens once in a blue moon.

---

The first time the user uses the functionality, prompt him/her with the browse dialog, then save the path into the settings file. In addition, give the user the option to change the path in the future and display the browse dialog.

@Arjay: all you have mentioned is correct but i think constants should be all upper case in c++ and c# languages (i always adhere to this convention). isn't it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by toraj58

@Arjay: all you have mentioned is correct but i think constants should be all upper case in c++ and c# languages (i always adhere to this convention). isn't it?

---

In C++ yes, but not in C#.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arjay

In C++ yes, but not in C#.

---

Even in C++ a great many coding standards dictate the use of all upper case for Preprocessor "constants" (ie #define), but the use of MixedCase for POD which is declare4d as "const".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cjard

Use the Settings file! It's what it was invented for..

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...69(VS.80).aspx

---

Did cjard's answer solve your question shers?

i think so....because he did not asked again.

@TheCPUWizard: are you also agree that in C# it is not convention to have constants all upper case?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by toraj58

@TheCPUWizard: are you also agree that in C# it is not convention to have constants all upper case?

---

Yes. The ONLY place where all uppercase is the accepted convention in most environments is in preprocessor macros (typically used for conditional compilation).

Agreed

yes, i also noticed that in MSDN microsoft has used camelCase for constants but it was more distinguishable for me to have it all uppercase and it does not conflict with any other convention; so i am confused!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cjard

Use the Settings file! It's what it was invented for..

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...69(VS.80).aspx

---

Here is the code.

Code:

---

string path = Properties.Settings.Default.ParentPath;
            DirectoryInfo di =new DirectoryInfo(path);

---

But it gives me error saying 'Illegal characters in path'.

Thanks

what is the path you used....paste it here.

"C:\Test"

If this value is hardcoded, try "C:\\Test" or @"C:\Test".

When I wrote "C:\\Test" in the settings, the path returned in

DirectoryInfo di =new DirectoryInfo(path);

is "\"C:\\\\Test\" and when it's @"C:\Test", it returns "@\"C:\\Test\""

The error is 'Illegal characters in path.'

Thanks

where is setting?
just test: "c:\test"

Here it is!

remove the quotations around the c:\test

That did the work!

Thanks