.NET Core changing the location where my default index.html file is

Question

I am building an Angular 2 app and using .NET Core and Webpack to compile my static resources into a dist folder. I am using a plugin that builds my index.html file and puts it in my wwwroot/dist folder but am struggling on how to configure my Startup.cs file to look for the default file in the dist folder.

Currently I have...

        app.UseDefaultFiles();
        app.UseStaticFiles();

In my startup.cs file but it will not use the index.html that is generated in my dist folder. Any ideas on what I need to change? The docs do not give much reference from what I could find on how to do this.

Thanks.

Answer 1

You can use code like below, but it only works when you put empty index.html in the root of wwwroot folder:

        app.UseDefaultFiles();
        // Serve wwwroot/dist as a root 
        app.UseStaticFiles(new StaticFileOptions() 
        {
            FileProvider = new PhysicalFileProvider(
                Path.Combine(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), @"wwwroot\dist"))
        });

RequestPath is empty by default so root path will show you index.html or default.html from wwwroot\dist folder.

UPDATE: There is easy and beautiful solution to handle this issue using WebRoot in Program.cs like below:

public static void Main(string[] args)
{
    var host = new WebHostBuilder()
        .UseWebRoot(Path.Combine(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), "wwwroot", "dist"))
        .UseKestrel()
        .UseContentRoot(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory())
        .UseIISIntegration()
        .UseStartup<Startup>()
        .UseApplicationInsights()
        .Build();

    host.Run();
}

In Configure method of Startup.cs you just use:

    app.UseDefaultFiles();
    app.UseStaticFiles();