Can't find HttpContext in .NET 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008

Question

I used code from here and I get the following error: Can't use HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath()

In Visual Studio 2008 does the ContextMenuEntry "Solve" help you when you have missing references?

I already found out that HttpContext is not a member of System.Web in my IDE. According to Help > Info I am using .NET 3.5 SP1.

How do I get that running?

How do u usually react in this situation? What stuff do u look for in msdn.com?

Answer 1

What I would do in that situation is look on MSDN (or Google) for HttpContext. I did that, and it says it’s in System.Web. So make sure your project has a reference to System.Web.

... and then it seems to work:

Answer 2

You can look in the documentation for the HttpContext class, and it tells you that it's in the System.Web namespace, in the System.Web.dll library.

So, to use it you need a reference to the System.Web.dll library, and you either need a using System.Web; statement, or use the fullly qualified name System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath.

However, are you sure that you want to use the MapPath method? The method gets the physical path of a web reference to a file. If the path to your CSV file is a web reference, for example "/data/items.csv" then you want to use the MapPath method, but if you have a physical path like for example "C:\mydata\items.csv" then you don't want to convert it.

Also, the MapPath only works if you actually are in a web application, where there is a HTTP context.

Answer 3

Timwi has it right, but for completeness. No, VS does not have the 'Solve' capability built in, however this functionality has been partially added by some add-ons. For example, Resharper will add the option to add the reference and using when needed -- but it does have to have been referenced before in the solution so it doesn't solve the initial find problem.