Read a file compile-time in C#

Question

I am writing some unit tests in which I need a fake xml file. I can create that file and require it to be deployed with the unit tests, but experience shows that at my offic

Answer 1

You can do this with a T4 template. What you need is 3 things

1. Create your template file, which will generate your .cs code
2. Include your text file (or *.sql file) in the same project as your template file
3. Configure your template to re-create your t4 template on every build

Something like this for your template.tt file

<#@ template debug="true" hostSpecific="true" #>
<#@ output extension=".cs" #>
<#@ Assembly Name="System.Core" #>
<#@ Assembly Name="System.Windows.Forms" #>
<#@ import namespace="System" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.IO" #>
<#
   string TextFromFile = File.ReadAllText(Host.ResolvePath("my_file_next_to_my_template.txt"));
#>
// This is the output code from your template
namespace MyNameSpace
{
    class MyGeneratedClass
    {
        static void main (string[] args)
        {
            System.Console.WriteLine("<#= TextFromFile #>");
        }
    }
}

If you don't want to configure your template to be re-created on the build then just opening it and saving it will do the trick.