C# – Getting the path of the home directory in C#

cnet

Okay, I've checked Environment.SpecialFolder, but there's nothing in there for this.

I want to get the home directory of the current user in C#. (e.g. c:\documents and settings\user under XP, c:\users\user under Vista, and /home/user under Unix.)

I know I can read enviroment variables to find this out, but I want to do this in a cross-platform way.

Is there any way I can do this with .NET (preferably using mscorlib)?

UPDATE: Okay, this is the code I ended up using:

string homePath = (Environment.OSVersion.Platform == PlatformID.Unix || 
                   Environment.OSVersion.Platform == PlatformID.MacOSX)
    ? Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("HOME")
    : Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables("%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%");

Best Answer

You are looking for Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile which refers to C:\Users\myname on Windows and /home/myname on Unix/Linux:

Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile)

Note that Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal is My Documents (or Documents in win7 and above), but same as home directory on Unix/Linux.

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C# – the difference between String and string in C#

string is an alias in C# for System.String.
So technically, there is no difference. It's like int vs. System.Int32.

As far as guidelines, it's generally recommended to use string any time you're referring to an object.

e.g.

string place = "world";

Likewise, I think it's generally recommended to use String if you need to refer specifically to the class.

e.g.

string greet = String.Format("Hello {0}!", place);

This is the style that Microsoft tends to use in their examples.

It appears that the guidance in this area may have changed, as StyleCop now enforces the use of the C# specific aliases.

C# – Calling the base constructor in C#

Modify your constructor to the following so that it calls the base class constructor properly:

public class MyExceptionClass : Exception
{
    public MyExceptionClass(string message, string extrainfo) : base(message)
    {
        //other stuff here
    }
}

Note that a constructor is not something that you can call anytime within a method. That's the reason you're getting errors in your call in the constructor body.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

C# – the difference between String and string in C#

This is the style that Microsoft tends to use in their examples.

C# – Calling the base constructor in C#

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