Getting current directory in .NET web application

Question

So I have a web project, and I'm trying to get the root directory of the website using the c# method Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(). I don't want to be using a static path as the file locations will be changing in the future. This method is running in my imageProcess.aspx.cs file, but where I thought it would return:

C:\Users\tcbl\documents\visual studio 2010\Projects\ModelMonitoring\ModelMonitoring\imageProcess.aspx.cs

I'm instead getting:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DevServer\10.0\

Can anyone explain why this is happening and what a possible solution might be? Thanks a lot.

Related post here which talks about .Net application execution paths in general. — RBT
– RBT, Commented Nov 14, 2017 at 10:33
Another post which talks about server map paths in web applications in .Net — RBT
– RBT, Commented Nov 14, 2017 at 10:34

SLaks · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-08 15:19:31Z

241

The current directory is a system-level feature; it returns the directory that the server was launched from. It has nothing to do with the website.

You want HttpRuntime.AppDomainAppPath.

If you're in an HTTP request, you can also call Server.MapPath("~/Whatever").

answered Jun 8, 2012 at 15:19

SLaks

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6 Comments

Kent Weigel Over a year ago

Thanks. I was actually looking for HttpRuntime.BinDirectory, but that was easy to determine in the debugger, once I tried what you mentioned in your answer.

Si8 Over a year ago

If I use `Server.MapPath("~Whatever") and the IIS site is hosted in myserver. I get a C:\\somefolder\Whatever, rather than myserver/Whatever folder.

SLaks Over a year ago

@Si8: Yes; that's what Server.MapPath does. You want stackoverflow.com/q/5823847/34397

testpattern Over a year ago

In case you are unfamiliar with .NET assemblies (or are in Immediate Window), the full commands are System.Web.HttpRuntime.AppDomainAppPath and System.Web.HttpRuntime.HttpContext.Server.MapPath("~")

chengzi Over a year ago

@testpattern HttpContext is System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~"), not have HttpRuntime

|

CDspace · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-08 15:43:55Z

127

Use this code:

 HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~")

Detailed Reference:

Server.MapPath specifies the relative or virtual path to map to a physical directory.

Server.MapPath(".") returns the current physical directory of the file (e.g. aspx) being executed
Server.MapPath("..") returns the parent directory
Server.MapPath("~") returns the physical path to the root of the application
Server.MapPath("/") returns the physical path to the root of the domain name (is not necessarily the same as the root of the application)

An example:

Let's say you pointed a web site application (http://www.example.com/) to

C:\Inetpub\wwwroot

and installed your shop application (sub web as virtual directory in IIS, marked as application) in

D:\WebApps\shop

For example, if you call Server.MapPath in following request:

http://www.example.com/shop/products/GetProduct.aspx?id=2342

then:

Server.MapPath(".") returns D:\WebApps\shop\products
Server.MapPath("..") returns D:\WebApps\shop
Server.MapPath("~") returns D:\WebApps\shop
Server.MapPath("/") returns C:\Inetpub\wwwroot
Server.MapPath("/shop") returns D:\WebApps\shop

If Path starts with either a forward (/) or backward slash (), the MapPath method returns a path as if Path were a full, virtual path.

If Path doesn't start with a slash, the MapPath method returns a path relative to the directory of the request being processed.

Note: in C#, @ is the verbatim literal string operator meaning that the string should be used "as is" and not be processed for escape sequences.

Footnotes

Server.MapPath(null) and Server.MapPath("") will produce this effect too.

edited Dec 8, 2016 at 15:43

CDspace

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answered Dec 16, 2014 at 8:51

Harshal Doshi Jain

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2 Comments

GGO Over a year ago

Perfect copy of stackoverflow.com/questions/275781/…

Max Barraclough Over a year ago

@GGO Good link! Following the links, I ended up doing System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.MapPath("~") instead, which works great, with no dependency on System.Web.HttpContext.Current

Tono Nam · Accepted Answer · 2022-01-12 17:21:36Z

8

For dot net 6 I use:

AppContext.BaseDirectory

Cool thing about that is that it will be the same on asp.net and also on a console application.

answered Jan 12, 2022 at 17:21

Tono Nam

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1 Comment

Toan NC Over a year ago

string baseDirectory = AppContext.BaseDirectory; // it returns the bin path e.g. D:\WebMVCApp1\bin\Debug\netcoreapp3.1\

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