How to get execution directory of console application

Question

I tried to get the directory of the console application using the below code,

Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location

but this one gives me where the assemble resides. This may be different from where I executed the application.

My console application parses logs with no parameters. It must go to the logs/ folder inside of the executable's folder or if I give it a path to logs/ it parses it.

Have a look at this question: stackoverflow.com/questions/674857/… — Karsten
– Karsten, Commented Oct 3, 2014 at 6:40
you want the myapp.exe that you double clicked on to run, right? not the dlls?? try GetEntryAssembly — bh_earth0
– bh_earth0, Commented Mar 1, 2022 at 10:28

Stefan · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-12 09:26:29Z

130

Use Environment.CurrentDirectory.

Gets or sets the fully qualified path of the current working directory.
(MSDN Environment.CurrentDirectory Property)

string logsDirectory = Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, "logs");

If your application is running in c:\Foo\Bar logsDirectory will point to c:\Foo\Bar\logs.

edited Jun 12, 2012 at 9:26

answered Jun 12, 2012 at 9:21

Stefan

14.9k4 gold badges59 silver badges63 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

KFL Over a year ago

Current Directory is different from the directory containing the current executable.

Jaime Marín Over a year ago

Environment.CurrentDirectory is a value that can and will change through the course of running your application. For instance, using default parameters, the OpenFileDialog in WinForms will change this value to the directory where the file was selected from

Storm Muller Over a year ago

@KFL Yes, but the OP seems to want the dir of where the exe was executed. So this is the correct answer...

Sunny · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-12 09:29:07Z

54

Use this :

System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location

Combine that with

System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName if all you want is the directory.

answered Jun 12, 2012 at 9:29

Sunny

3,3359 gold badges37 silver badges69 bronze badges

2 Comments

LifeiSHot Over a year ago

If I use Environment.CurrentDirectory which run under Scheduled Task, it will goes to C:\Windows\system32\log which is not the execution path. Then I use this System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location, it points to my correct exe execution path. Thanks!

Timo Over a year ago

This might not work as you hope in unit tests or web projects running local IIS. The CodeBase answer does.

MikeT · Accepted Answer · 2021-01-07 20:58:54Z

22

Scott Hanselman has a blog post with the following:

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
 
namespace testdir
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Launched from {Environment.CurrentDirectory}");
            Console.WriteLine($"Physical location {AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory}");
            Console.WriteLine($"AppContext.BaseDir {AppContext.BaseDirectory}");
            Console.WriteLine($"Runtime Call {Path.GetDirectoryName(Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainModule.FileName)}");
        }
    }

which he uses in .NET Core 3.1, however, I'm running .NET 4.8 and it's working for me.

answered Jan 7, 2021 at 20:58

MikeT

2,6021 gold badge30 silver badges40 bronze badges

Comments

dtsg · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-12 13:24:20Z

8

Safest way:

string temp = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase);

edited Jun 12, 2012 at 13:24

user142162

answered Jun 12, 2012 at 9:22

dtsg

4,4834 gold badges33 silver badges41 bronze badges

2 Comments

Erik Philips Over a year ago

The CodeBase is a URL to the place where the file was found, while the Location is the path from where it was actually loaded. For example, if the assembly was downloaded from the internet, its CodeBase may start with "http://", but its Location may start with "C:\". If the file was shadow copied, the Location would be the path to the copy of the file in the shadow-copy dir. It’s also good to know that the CodeBase is not guaranteed to be set for assemblies in the GAC. Location will always be set for assemblies loaded from disk, however.

Timo Over a year ago

Being sure the file is on disk, I use this version to get a "regular" path instead of a file:// path: Path.GetDirectoryName(new Uri(this.GetType().Assembly.GetName().CodeBase).LocalPath)

Donovan Phoenix · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-19 17:37:30Z

4

Here is a simple logging method

using System.IO;
private static void logWrite(string filename, string text)
{
    string filepath = Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location) + "\\" + filename;

    using (StreamWriter sw = File.AppendText(filepath))
    {
        sw.WriteLine(text);
        Console.WriteLine(text);
    }
}

Usage:

logWrite("Log.txt", "Test");

answered Apr 19, 2019 at 17:37

Donovan Phoenix

1,5211 gold badge11 silver badges8 bronze badges

Comments

DiamondDrake · Accepted Answer · 2024-10-05 19:28:27Z

2

If google takes in here in 2024 using dotnetcore 8.0, the current way is

System.AppContext.BaseDirectory

answered Oct 5, 2024 at 19:28

DiamondDrake

1,18911 silver badges26 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to get execution directory of console application

6 Answers 6

3 Comments

2 Comments

Comments

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

6 Answers 6

3 Comments

2 Comments

Comments

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related