FileNotFoundException after unit test start. Trying to search under AppData

Question

There is [SetUp] part where some file is loaded for later tests.

It should be loaded with:

private string GiveFilePath()
{
   string folder;
   string assemblyPath;

   assemblyPath = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location;
   folder = new FileInfo(assemblyPath ).DirectoryName;
   return folder + @"\" + FileNameAsConst;
}

But I get

System.IO.FileNotFoundException in C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\...

cause its trying to load this file from AppData and not from the projects folder.

There is the similiar question asked already. And the answer, that the author of the question have found himself is to set ShadowCopyFiles property to true.

But there is no any ShadowCopyFiles in code or in config files.

Do you have any ideas?

Update:

[SetUp]
public void SetUp()
{       
    this.facade = new MyFacade();
}

[Test]
public void InstanceIsNotNull()
{
   Assert.IsNotNull(facade);
}

...

public MyFacade()
{
   FileStream fileStrem = new FileStream(GiveFilePath(), FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.ReadWrite);
   ...
}

Answer 1

You should be aware of the context the test is running on and the context of the code you have provided whether the executing assembly is the actually test or an external assembly you are loading into a separate (or same) AppDomain, etc.

Most of the time, if you are not doing anything special you wouldn't need a reflection call to Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly if the file you're trying to load is located in the same place as the executing assembly. You can easily use the classes in the System.IO namespace to manage this file which is less expensive than any reflection operation. You don't even need to specify the whole absolute path, a relative path will suffice. If the file is included in your project, make sure you set the "Copy to Output Directory" to "Copy always" and also make sure the "Build Action" is set to "Content", then, at runtime, first make sure the file exists...

if(File.Exists("filename.ext"))

notice that the path is relative, and then do whatever you want with the file...

File.ReadAllText("filename.ext");
File.Delete("filename.ext");

Answer 2

I strongly suspect that something is happening with the assemblylocation prior to entering the unittest, which is why I recommend a different setup of your unittest.

Try following the AAA-pattern:

Arrange: setup everything needed for the running the tested code. This includes any initialization of dependencies, mocks and data needed for the test to run.
Act: Invoke the code under test.
Assert: Specify the pass criteria for the test, which fails it if not met.

Your unittest certainly unclarifies the following:

• What was actually going on in the test
• What data was being used
• What was being tested

Taken from this link.

From the code you provided, there is no clue whether other tests may have interfered with the data being used. It could very well alter the setup of facade by different cultures or other alterations.

I recommend you alter your unittest to the AAA-pattern and isolate the issue. So change setup to be inside the unittest to eliminate any changes being made from other locations.

Also run this unittest alone, without running anything else. I've seen a unittest fail because the culture had been changed in one unittest prior to running the unittest I was concerned about (and it failed because of this culture-change).

If the problem still persists after isolating the unittest; provide reproducable code that gives you this issue.