Application.StartupPath is not working vb.net

[meho2020]

Dear All

I used the

Dim Path As String = Application.StartupPath & "\Main_Master_VB.xls"

in vb.net Application and it worked very well but when I used it in another vb.net application with the same references it is not working it gives the following Error:

Reference to a non-shared member requires an object reference, I do not know what is the missing reference ?

Thanks your support

Moheb Labib

[ChrisE]

Hi,

try it this way

 Dim Path As String = Application.StartupPath & "\..\Main_Master_VB.xls"

[meho2020]

Thanks ChrisE But it did not change anything Still the same error

[ChrisE]

is the Excelfile in the Bin folder ?

[jmcilhinney]

is the Excelfile in the Bin folder ?

You're trying to solve the wrong problem. The file path is irrelevant. Look at the error message.

[jmcilhinney]

I'm going to copy/paste my responses from SO:

Application is the System.Windows.Forms.Application class, so it is obviously specific to Windows Forms. If you're not in a Windows Forms project then there is no such class and so no such property.

Given that System.Windows.Forms.Application.StartupPath is a Shared member, if you are in a WinForms project then there's something else at play that is causing a name clash, e.g. the placement of the code or the naming of a class in your project.

[meho2020]

Dear ChrisE

I found that it is working when I remove the

Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel

and Keep only

Imports System.IO

So, What do this means?

Thanks

[jmcilhinney]

For good measure, here's some OT advice:

Don't use string concatenation to build file and folder paths from parts.

Dim filePath = Path.Combine(Application.StartupPath, "Main_Master_VB.xls")

That method will always get the separators right, whether either, both or neither of the parts have separators or not. Note the more descriptive variable name, so as to avoid a name clash with the System.IO.Path class. It's also just better.

[jmcilhinney]

Dear ChrisE

I found that it is working when I remove the

Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel

and Keep only

Imports System.IO

So, What do this means?

Thanks

It means what I said it means at SO and copied above: you have a name clash. Application is presumably being interpreted as an Excel type. If you qualify the type to disambiguate the name then it will work as expected:

Dim filePath = Path.Combine(Windows.Forms.Application.StartupPath, "Main_Master_VB.xls")

[meho2020]

Thanks but it is not working , However I removed the

Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel

and it worked

Thanks

[jmcilhinney]

Thanks but it is not working

Then you did it wrong.

[ChrisE]

Thanks but it is not working , However I removed the

Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel

and it worked

Thanks

removing a ref. and it works, never heard that one before

[ChrisE]

You're trying to solve the wrong problem. The file path is irrelevant. Look at the error message.

overread that one

[jmcilhinney]

removing a ref. and it works, never heard that one before

System.Windows.Forms is imported at the project level. File-level imports take precedence over project-level imports. If you import Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel at the file level then Application is interpreted as Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application rather than System.Windows.Forms.Application.

[ChrisE]

System.Windows.Forms is imported at the project level. File-level imports take precedence over project-level imports. If you import Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel at the file level then Application is interpreted as Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application rather than System.Windows.Forms.Application.

didn't know that, learn something every day at my old age