Getting location of file tnsnames.ora by code

Question

How can I get the location of the tnsnames.ora file by code, in a machine with the Oracle client installed?

Is there a windows registry key indicating the location of this file?

Answer 1

Some years ago I had the same problem.
Back then I had to support Oracle 9 and 10 so the code only takes care of those versions, but maybe it saves you from some research. The idea is to:

• search the registry to determine the oracle client version
• try to find the ORACLE_HOME
• finally get the tnsnames from HOME

---

public enum OracleVersion
{
    Oracle9,
    Oracle10,
    Oracle0
};

private OracleVersion GetOracleVersion()
{
    RegistryKey rgkLM = Registry.LocalMachine;
    RegistryKey rgkAllHome = rgkLM.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\ORACLE\ALL_HOMES");

    /* 
     * 10g Installationen don't have an ALL_HOMES key
     * Try to find HOME at SOFTWARE\ORACLE\
     * 10g homes start with KEY_
     */
    string[] okeys = rgkLM.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\ORACLE").GetSubKeyNames();
    foreach (string okey in okeys)
    {
        if (okey.StartsWith("KEY_"))
            return OracleVersion.Oracle10;
    }

    if (rgkAllHome != null)
    {
        string strLastHome = "";
        object objLastHome = rgkAllHome.GetValue("LAST_HOME");
        strLastHome = objLastHome.ToString();
        RegistryKey rgkActualHome = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\ORACLE\HOME" + strLastHome);
        string strOraHome = "";
        object objOraHome = rgkActualHome.GetValue("ORACLE_HOME");
        string strOracleHome = strOraHome = objOraHome.ToString();
        return OracleVersion.Oracle9;
    }
    return OracleVersion.Oracle0;
}

private string GetOracleHome()
{
    RegistryKey rgkLM = Registry.LocalMachine;
    RegistryKey rgkAllHome = rgkLM.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\ORACLE\ALL_HOMES");
    OracleVersion ov = this.GetOracleVersion();

    switch(ov)
    {
        case OracleVersion.Oracle10:
            {
                string[] okeys = rgkLM.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\ORACLE").GetSubKeyNames();
                foreach (string okey in okeys)
                {
                    if (okey.StartsWith("KEY_"))
                    {
                        return rgkLM.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\ORACLE\" + okey).GetValue("ORACLE_HOME") as string;
                    }
                }
                throw new Exception("No Oracle Home found");
            }
        case OracleVersion.Oracle9:
            {
                string strLastHome = "";
                object objLastHome = rgkAllHome.GetValue("LAST_HOME");
                strLastHome = objLastHome.ToString();
                RegistryKey rgkActualHome = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\ORACLE\HOME" + strLastHome);
                string strOraHome = "";
                object objOraHome = rgkActualHome.GetValue("ORACLE_HOME");
                string strOracleHome = strOraHome = objOraHome.ToString();
                return strOraHome;
            }
        default:
            {
                throw new Exception("No supported Oracle Installation found");
            }
    }
}

public string GetTNSNAMESORAFilePath()
{
    string strOracleHome = GetOracleHome();
    if (strOracleHome != "")
    {
        string strTNSNAMESORAFilePath = strOracleHome + @"\NETWORK\ADMIN\TNSNAMES.ORA";
        if (File.Exists(strTNSNAMESORAFilePath))
        {
            return strTNSNAMESORAFilePath;
        }
        else
        {
            strTNSNAMESORAFilePath = strOracleHome + @"\NET80\ADMIN\TNSNAMES.ORA";
            if (File.Exists(strTNSNAMESORAFilePath))
            {
                return strTNSNAMESORAFilePath;
            }
            else
            {
                throw new SystemException("Could not find tnsnames.ora");
            }
        }
    }
    else
    {
        throw new SystemException("Could not determine ORAHOME");
    }
}