Mapping the Application Path in Web Config

[lilOlMe]

Hi there,

I'm developing a ASP.NET application using VB.NET as the server side code.

In my application, I have a directory that holds temporary resources for the duration of a user's stay on my website. When the user's session ends my Global.asax "Session_End" function is called and it removes any temporary resources that the user was using.

When I hard code the location of the temporary resource folder I am able to locate the temporary resource folder and do my clean up....and everything works fine.

The problem is that when I move the application to a web server this path will change...and I may have no way of knowing the path to this directory.

I have already tried to access the application's path using Server.MapPath() in my Global.asax but this does not work. (Because it throws an exception that states that "Sever operation is not available in this context")

Currently I'm storing the path to the temporary resource in the Web.Config file's <appSettings> section.

I was wondering if anyone knew how to store the application's path into the web.config...without hard coding in the location?

Or

If anyone knew of a function that works like Server.MapPath that will work in the Global.asax file?


Thanks!

-LilOlMe

[lilOlMe]

I solved this problem!

I ended up declaring a Private Shared (static) class variable within the Global.asax file and setting it's value in the Application_Start(..) method using Server.MapPath().

 TempResPath = Server.MapPath("~/TemporaryResources/")
 

Hope this helps out anyone else stuck on this problem!

What I don't understand is why the Sever methods don't work in the Global.asax file's Session_End...


I understand that you cannot use HttpContext methods in your Session_End event handling method..

This is because no HttpContext object is available at the time this event is fired...
There is no HttpContext object because it is created by ASP.NET during a web request...No web request is made when the Session_End event is fired...this event happens automatically when a SessionID is recycled.

What I don't understand is why the Sever object is not available in the Session_End event...but is available in the Application_Start event.

I'm happy this is all working but I'm still a bit confused.
I'd love it if anyone could share the answer.

:)

-Lilolme

[radcaesar]

You can't execute server side code like this.
If you need to execute code, you need to do it in a class, such as your
global class defined in the global.asax file.

[lilOlMe]

You can't execute server side code like this.
If you need to execute code, you need to do it in a class, such as your
global class defined in the global.asax file.

I don't understand what you are trying to tell me.
What do you mean by "You cant execute server side code like this"?


Oh did you mean mapping the application path in the Web.Config?
Yeah I kinda figured it wasn't possible for a bunch of reasons:
-> it's a configuration file...
-> and its an xml file so how could I really expect to do any sort of computations here

I should have changed the title of the question to be "How do you use Server.MapPath in the Global.asax file".

If this isn't what you meant, could you please explain.

Thanks

-lilOlMe