Eigenverft.NetLib.Hosting.DirectoryLayout 1.0.0.5

Eigenverft.NetLib.Hosting.DirectoryLayout

Create predictable writable application folders below the executable directory and resolve the host environment before a Generic Host or ASP.NET Core builder exists.

✨ At a glance

📦 Installation

dotnet add package Eigenverft.NetLib.Hosting.DirectoryLayout

🚀 Quick start

using System;
using Eigenverft.NetLib.Hosting.DirectoryLayout;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;

var builder = Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);
builder.AddDefaultDirectoryLayout();

IAppDirectoryLayout directories = builder.GetDirectoryLayout();
string settings = directories[DefaultDirectory.ApplicationSettings];
Console.WriteLine(settings);

using IHost host = builder.Build();
await host.RunAsync();

By default, the folders are direct children of AppContext.BaseDirectory. Registration creates each directory and probes it for write access so filesystem or permission errors surface during startup.

For ASP.NET Core, Eigenverft.WebLib.Hosting.DirectoryLayout builds on this package: it roots ContentRootPath at AppContext.BaseDirectory, sets WebRootPath to wwwroot, and exposes that folder through the semantic Web mapping. It delegates the shared application-directory creation and validation to this package; the NetLib package itself remains independent of ASP.NET Core.

📁 Standard and custom folders

The standard names are AppLogs, AppData, AppState, AppProtectionKeys, AppCerts, and AppSettings. Override only the names that need changing:

using System.Collections.Generic;
builder.AddDefaultDirectoryLayout(
    new Dictionary<DefaultDirectory, string>
    {
        [DefaultDirectory.ApplicationData] = "Data",
        [DefaultDirectory.ApplicationLogFiles] = "Logs",
    });

For app-specific keys, use a custom map:

using System.Collections.Generic;
builder.AddDirectoryLayout(
    new Dictionary<string, string>
    {
        ["Cache"] = "cache",
        ["Imports"] = "incoming",
    });

string imports = builder.GetDirectoryLayout()["Imports"];

Folder names must be single direct-child names. Rooted paths, separators, nested folders, and traversal patterns are rejected. The factory also supports an explicit root and optional writable checks when a Generic Host builder is not involved:

AppDirectoryLayout layout = AppDirectoryLayoutFactory.CreateDefault(
    rootPath: "path/to/root",
    verifyWritable: false);

🌱 Resolve the environment early

StaticHostEnvironment is available before creating a host builder, for bootstrap settings or other early startup decisions:

using Eigenverft.NetLib.Hosting.DirectoryLayout;
string environment = StaticHostEnvironment.EnvironmentName;
bool useDevelopmentBootstrap = StaticHostEnvironment.IsDevelopment;
bool useQaBootstrap = StaticHostEnvironment.IsEnvironment("QA");

Resolution precedence is process command-line arguments, then DOTNET_ENVIRONMENT, then ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT, then Production. The value is captured once when the type is first initialized; arbitrary environment names are preserved and comparisons are case-insensitive.

🎯 Target frameworks

• net8.0
• net10.0

A .NET 9 consumer can use the compatible net8.0 asset.

🔗 Project links

• Source project
• Solution documentation
• Repository

📄 License

MIT