Indirect Path to Files, when program is called from somewhere else

Question

I have a problem with my C++ console program. I need some dictionary files for some translations. So I read this Files in the program and gave them a indirect path to the program folder.

String="translation\\PfadzuDatei\\Datei.txt";

In Debugging-Mode this works great, because VS starts the program in the right directory, but when i release it, and it is called from somewhere else like:

Path of Program: c:\Program.exe

And i start it from: another position:

C:\anyPathInConsole\>c:\Program.exe arg1

The program is not able to find the translation files.

Is there any other possibility to set the Path to the files in other ways or do i have to call the program from C:\

The problem with calling the program from the specific folder is, that the program is started by a nodejs "Child-Prozess" exec function and i don`t know the executing Path.

I would suggest setting up an environment variable with the path to the dictionary. — Qubit, Dec 11 '18 at 12:45
You might want to get the [path to executable](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1528298/get-path-of-executable) and append your relative path to that one - this works, of course, only as long as exe and database retain relative locations to each other... — Aconcagua, Dec 11 '18 at 12:48
You can specify a ful path instead the relative path. Or pass the path as the program launch argument. — Dmytro Dadyka, Dec 11 '18 at 12:48
@DmytroDadyka Full path has the disadvantage that you cannot place it at arbitrary location... — Aconcagua, Dec 11 '18 at 12:49
On windows, there are ways to include files as resources into the exe - might or not be an option for you. Didn't use that feature for a *long* time, though, so you'd need to find the details to yourself... — Aconcagua, Dec 11 '18 at 12:51
@Aconcagua It depends of the author purpose . Maybe this file is always in a strictly defined place — Dmytro Dadyka, Dec 11 '18 at 12:52
What operating system are you using? Or do you need a cross-platform solution? — Dmytro Dadyka, Dec 11 '18 at 12:55
@DmytroDadyka Quick and dirty, perhaps(?) acceptable if the tool is for personal use only. As soon as giving the tool away, one imposes a file hierarchy on user's system (possibly) not compliant with his/her usual scheme. Can be quite annoying if a programme (or parts of) is/are only installable at one very specific location... — Aconcagua, Dec 11 '18 at 13:00

score 0 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 11 '18 at 15:35

0

I found out the path where the "Child-Process" from my nodejs-Server executes the program. It's the Project-Folder, not the folder of my js-File. Thank you for your Input. I copied the files to my project folder. Sorry for wasting of your time.

edited Dec 11 '18 at 15:35

Alexanov

125
18

answered Dec 11 '18 at 12:58

user10775749

11
2

Dmytro Dadyka · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-11T14:15:33.133

I do not know what operating system the author uses, I will assume that windows. You can get the absolute path to the file by concatenating path to *.exe and relative file path:

std::string getPath()
{
   char buf[256];
   // Get file name
   GetModuleFileNameA(nullptr, &buf[0], sizeof(buf));

   // Extract path from full name
   std::string path = buf;
   const size_t last_slash_idx = path.rfind('\\');
   if (std::string::npos != last_slash_idx)
   {
      path = path.substr(0, last_slash_idx);
   }
   // Add relative path
   path += "\\";
   path += "translation\\PfadzuDatei\\Datei.txt";
   return path;
}

For lixux readlink("/proc/self/exe", buf, sizeof(buf)); can be used instead GetModuleFileNameA

Indirect Path to Files, when program is called from somewhere else

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