[RESOLVED] SpecialFolder returning numerical value?

[relentlesstech]

For some reason when I try to set a path to 'Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows' the path ends up being '36', even when dimming as a string - What the heck am I doing wrong?

        Dim Install As String = Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows
        MsgBox(Install & "\qcinfs\temp.inf")

Outputs as '36\qcinfs\temp.inf' :-(

[relentlesstech]

Figured it out:

        Environment.CurrentDirectory = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("windir")
        MsgBox(Environment.CurrentDirectory)

[jmcilhinney]

What you're doing is not reading the documentation. The Help menu is there in your IDE for a reason. Environment.SpecialFolder is an enumeration and, like all enumerations, is a list of named labels that correspond to numeric values and those numeric values mean something when used properly. Not surprisingly, the documentation for that enumeration tells you how to use it properly. Always read the documentation first.

By the way, use Path.Combine to combine two partial paths into a single path.

[jmcilhinney]

Figured it out:

        Environment.CurrentDirectory = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("windir")
        MsgBox(Environment.CurrentDirectory)

No, you didn't figure it out. You just used a different, vastly inferior option.

[Mucker]

For some reason when I try to set a path to 'Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows' the path ends up being '36', even when dimming as a string - What the heck am I doing wrong?

        Dim Install As String = Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows
        MsgBox(Install & "\qcinfs\temp.inf")

Outputs as '36\qcinfs\temp.inf' :-(

I wouldn't have used either, there are other ways to do it, but if that's how you want to display it, but this only gives you the name, assuming that's what you want? Otherwise use System.IO.Path class

Dim WinFolder As String = Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows.ToString
        MsgBox(WinFolder & "\qcinfs\temp.inf")

[jmcilhinney]

I wouldn't have used either, there are other ways to do it, but if that's how you want to display it, but this only gives you the name, assuming that's what you want? Otherwise use System.IO.Path class

Dim WinFolder As String = Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows.ToString
        MsgBox(WinFolder & "\qcinfs\temp.inf")

Nope, that ain't it. You make take a look at that documentation yourself.

[Mucker]

Jmc if he is only looking for it to output the name of the folder, then my code will do that as tested below. So what isn't it?

Attachment 108737

[dbasnett]

        Dim aFile As String = IO.Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows), "qcinfs\temp.inf")

[AceInfinity]

The point here is that SpecialFolder is an enum, and JMC is pointing out that you're not reading the documentation to see why it's returning a numeric value, even though it should (because it's an enum). The Environment.GetFolderPath() function takes the enum as a parameter and turns that into the folder location you want as a string. Path.Combine() is self-explanatory.

[jmcilhinney]

Jmc if he is only looking for it to output the name of the folder, then my code will do that as tested below. So what isn't it?

Attachment 108737

He's not looking for the name of the folder. He's looking for the path of the folder. If you check out the members of the Environment.SpecialFolder enumeration then you'll see that many of them don't even return the folder name from their ToString method. You could have saved yourself looking a fool by taking 30 seconds to read the documentation.

[Mucker]

He's not looking for the name of the folder. He's looking for the path of the folder. If you check out the members of the Environment.SpecialFolder enumeration then you'll see that many of them don't even return the folder name from their ToString method. You could have saved yourself looking a fool by taking 30 seconds to read the documentation.

Lets get a few things straight here. First keep your insults to yourself and dont call me a fool. There is no need for disrespect. You dont even know me... and I am not disrespecting you.

Secondly, I do this for a hobby and i do what i know works for me based on practice and things i try to learn, regardless if its meant to work like that or not. if the enum is meant to represent a numerical value. Cool beans! Obviously the value represents a folder name if I can return it from a string. So who cares if I used it inappropriately to display the folder name. Is that a reason to insult me?

If you want people on this site to learn and not post " Stupid " things, then instead of saying read the documentation; which is as good as saying read Google! (Which defeats the purpose of the forum.) Why don't you provide a link to that exact documentation you're referring us to learn and try to explain it to us instead? To much work for you jmc?

According to the screenshots, it will do that for each and every special directory listed. so who cares?

Attachment 108745Attachment 108747Attachment 108749Attachment 108751

[dbasnett]

Lets get a few things straight here. First keep your insults to yourself and dont call me a fool. There is no need for disrespect. You dont even know me... and I am not disrespecting you.

Secondly, I do this for a hobby and i do what i know works for me based on practice and things i try to learn, regardless if its meant to work like that or not. if the enum is meant to represent a numerical value. Cool beans! Obviously the value represents a folder name if I can return it from a string. So who cares if I used it inappropriately to display the folder name. Is that a reason to insult me?

If you want people on this site to learn and not post " Stupid " things, then instead of saying read the documentation; which is as good as saying read Google! (Which defeats the purpose of the forum.) Why don't you provide a link to that exact documentation you're referring us to learn and try to explain it to us instead? To much work for you jmc?

According to the screenshots, it will do that for each and every special directory listed. so who cares?

Attachment 108745Attachment 108747Attachment 108749Attachment 108751

John didn't say you are a fool, just that you looked foolish. If you turn Option Strict On, as it should always be, your solution will not compile.

When you object to reading the documentation you seem to imply that you want someone to read it for you, and then regurgitate here. Maybe a link to the page in question would help. Look under Remarks here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...vs.110%29.aspx

If you want the correct answers here, then all answers have to be scrutinized for correctness, which is not the same as it works under certain scenarios. In this case your answer only works if Strict is Off.

[Mucker]

Thanks dbasnett for the link. Regardless, looking a fool or being called a fool is as good as calling one a fool in my eyes. Nevertheless I've already forgotten about it.

Back on topic, why is it that my application compiles when Option Strict is On Or Off? :S

[dbasnett]

When I copied your code I only got Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows which will not compile. The issue is that you are not getting the path to the folder, just a name.

[Mucker]

Well if you are only using part of my code it shouldn't compile, Part:

Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows

but it does with my full code:

Dim WinFolder As String = Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows.ToString
        MsgBox(WinFolder & "\qcinfs\temp.inf")

I think there may have been a misunderstanding along the way... because if you use the full code i posted it outputs the foldername. --option strict on/off. Obviously if you use part of the code, it wont compile as you are not specifying anything and the expression is not a method. so what was the argument again?

[dday9]

so what was the argument again?

The argument is that the OP wanted to set a path, in which case the .ToString method would only return the SpecialFolder's name rather than it's path(In most, if not all cases). The suggestion is to use Environmnet.GetFolderPath and to set the path by using IO.Path.Combine.

[si_the_geek]

The debate is rather irrelevant, as what was wanted was the path (see post #1).

As such the proper answer is what dbasnett posted earlier.

because if you use the full code i posted it outputs the foldername.

No it doesn't... what it outputs is the enumeration name.

By definition, you would get exactly the same result by replacing Environment.SpecialFolder. and .ToString with quotes, eg:

Dim WinFolder As String = "Windows"

Regardless, looking a fool or being called a fool is as good as calling one a fool in my eyes.

They are very different things. Doing something foolish is temporary (and we all do it at times), while being a fool is permanent and therefore a much nastier thing to say about someone.

[Mucker]

The debate is rather irrelevant, as what was wanted was the path (see post #1).

As such the proper answer is what dbasnett posted earlier.
No it doesn't... what it outputs is the enumeration name.

By definition, you would get exactly the same result by replacing Environment.SpecialFolder.

So let me get this, the specialfolder.whatever is an enum representing a numerical value which used correctly acts as an numerical ID of some kind to identify a folder name? Correct or not? If i understand this right, is that why the number can be output as a foldername?

Lol that's a bit of something to get your head around... Sorry this led on from me misunderstanding the question in the first post, based on his code, and question i thought he wanted the folder name.

[dday9]

So let me get this, the specialfolder.whatever is an enum representing a numerical value which used correctly acts as an numerical ID of some kind to identify a folder name? Correct or not? If i understand this right, is that why the number can be output as a foldername?

I would really open up a new thread about this, but I'll go ahead and answer it anyways. That's correct. There are a few different Enums, just take a look at DialogResult and a ProgressBar's Style. Just as you can do:

If MessageBox.Show("Please click ok", Me.Text, MessageBoxButtons.OKCancel) = Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then

You can also do:

If MessageBox.Show("Please click ok", Me.Text, MessageBoxButtons.OKCancel) = 1 Then

You can create Enumerators or Enums like this:

Public Enum FooEnum
    FooVal1
    FooVal2
    FooVal3
End Enum

And optionally you can set the value of the enum too:

Public Enum FooEnum
    FooVal1 = 10
    FooVal2 = 50
    FooVal3 = 100
End Enum

So if you were to call the ToString method on that custom Enum above:

Console.WriteLine(FooEnum.FooVal1.ToString)

The output would be FooVal1

[Mucker]

Right, good examples! I totally get it now. Thanks for explain that Dday.

[dbasnett]

This little snippet shows the value(integer) of the enum, the name associated with the value, and the path associated with the value.

        For Each foo As Integer In [Enum].GetValues(GetType(Environment.SpecialFolder))
            Debug.WriteLine(foo & "  " & [Enum].GetName(GetType(Environment.SpecialFolder), foo) & "  " & Environment.GetFolderPath(DirectCast(foo, Environment.SpecialFolder)))
        Next
        Stop

[si_the_geek]

In addition to what has been posted above, a bit of extra info:

So let me get this, the specialfolder.whatever is an enum representing a numerical value which used correctly acts as an numerical ID of some kind to identify a folder name? Correct or not?

Not quite, it does not in any sense represent a folder name.

If used as a parameter to a particular function (which knows that the numeric value has a particular meaning) such as Environment.GetFolderPath, it will allow that function to return the path to a special folder.

If i understand this right, is that why the number can be output as a foldername?

The name used is basically equivalent to a variable name, and that is what is being output.

The names Microsoft use for enums are generally chosen quite well, so you can usually tell at a glance what they are meant to represent (if used appropriately), but they have no more meaning than any variable names.

If instead of calling it SpecialFolder.Windows they had called it SpecialFolder.Bork , your code would output Bork (which would be of no use to the user), and it takes much more effort than directly setting the string to Bork in the first place.

[jmcilhinney]

Lets get a few things straight here. First keep your insults to yourself and dont call me a fool. There is no need for disrespect. You dont even know me... and I am not disrespecting you.

Well, you kind of are. I suggested more than once that the documentation could show how to do this properly and you staunchly refused to read it apparently. I certainly don't claim to know everything but my post count and reputation should suggest that I know a few things. You might at least consider taking my advice in future. More often than not it will get you somewhere.

[Steve R Jones]

Boys and Girls - lets try and keep the comments about each other off the site. Thank you.