How do I find out what directory my console app is running in?

Question

How do I find out what directory my console app is running in with C#?

score 179 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 18 '08 at 21:45

179

To get the directory where the .exe file is:

AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory

To get the current directory:

Environment.CurrentDirectory

answered Sep 18 '08 at 21:45

Hallgrim

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Thanks. Helps when the C# .exe is in one folder but is invoked from another folder (eg: when it's on the system PATH) – DeepSpace101 Jul 10 '14 at 23:33
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For .NET Core, it is `System.AppContext.BaseDirectory`. – NightOwl888 Jul 01 '17 at 01:14

score 16 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 02 '21 at 10:31

Depending on the rights granted to your application, whether shadow copying is in effect or not and other invocation and deployment options, different methods may work or yield different results so you will have to choose your weapon wisely. Having said that, all of the following will yield the same result for a fully-trusted console application that is executed locally at the machine where it resides:

Console.WriteLine( Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location );
Console.WriteLine( new Uri(Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().CodeBase).LocalPath );
Console.WriteLine( Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()[0] );
Console.WriteLine( Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainModule.FileName );

You will need to consult the documentation of the above members to see the exact permissions needed.

score 5 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 02 '10 at 18:34

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Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location)

answered Mar 02 '10 at 18:34

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score 4 · Answer 4 · edited Aug 23 '15 at 08:03

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In .NET, you can use System.Environment.CurrentDirectory to get the directory from which the process was started.
System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location will tell you the location of the currently executing assembly (that's only interesting if the currently executing assembly is loaded from somewhere different than the location of the assembly where the process started).

edited Aug 23 '15 at 08:03

shA.t

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answered Sep 18 '08 at 21:47

Travis Illig

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score 3 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 24 '19 at 18:48

Let's say your .Net core console application project name is DataPrep.

Get Project Base Directory:

Console.WriteLine(Environment.CurrentDirectory);

Output: ~DataPrep\bin\Debug\netcoreapp2.2

Get Project .csproj file directory:
string ProjectDirPath = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, @"..\..\..\"));
Console.WriteLine(ProjectDirPath);

Output: ~DataPrep\

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Sep 18 '08 at 21:45

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On windows (not sure about Unix etc.) it is the first argument in commandline.

In C/C++ firts item in argv*

WinAPI - GetModuleFileName(NULL, char*, MAX_PATH)

answered Sep 18 '08 at 21:45

Jakub Kotrla

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Yes, it's the same in .NET, too. First arg is always the full path of the executable. – Adam Neal Sep 19 '08 at 00:29

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Feb 19 '09 at 05:22

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Application.StartUpPath;

answered Feb 19 '09 at 05:22

care to link to some documentation? – John Sheehan Feb 19 '09 at 05:39

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Jul 31 '20 at 04:46

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Use AppContext.BaseDirectory for .net5.

answered Jul 31 '20 at 04:46

Vivek Nuna

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score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Jul 12 '23 at 07:31

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Another solution is to use method Directory.GetCurrentDirectory:

string currentDirectory = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
Console.WriteLine("Working dir: " + currentDirectory);

answered Jul 12 '23 at 07:31

p8R

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How do I find out what directory my console app is running in?

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