Environment Class
Provides information about, and means to manipulate, the current environment and platform. This class cannot be inherited.
For a list of all members of this type, see Environment Members.
System.Object
System.Environment
[Visual Basic] NotInheritable Public Class Environment [C#] public sealed class Environment [C++] public __gc __sealed class Environment [JScript] public class Environment
Thread Safety
Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.
Remarks
Use the Environment class to retrieve information such as command line arguments, the exit code, environment variable settings, contents of the call stack, time since last system boot, and the version of the common language runtime.
Example
[Visual Basic] ' Sample for Environment class summary Imports System Imports System.Collections Class Sample Public Shared Sub Main() Dim str As [String] Dim nl As [String] = Environment.NewLine ' Console.WriteLine() Console.WriteLine("-- Environment members --") ' Invoke this sample with an arbitrary set of command line arguments. Console.WriteLine("CommandLine: {0}", Environment.CommandLine) Dim arguments As [String]() = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs() Console.WriteLine("GetCommandLineArgs: {0}", [String].Join(", ", arguments)) ' <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("CurrentDirectory: {0}", Environment.CurrentDirectory) Console.WriteLine("ExitCode: {0}", Environment.ExitCode) Console.WriteLine("HasShutdownStarted: {0}", Environment.HasShutdownStarted) ' <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("MachineName: {0}", Environment.MachineName) Console.WriteLine("NewLine: {0} first line{0} second line{0}" & _ " third line", Environment.NewLine) Console.WriteLine("OSVersion: {0}", Environment.OSVersion.ToString()) Console.WriteLine("StackTrace: '{0}'", Environment.StackTrace) ' <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("SystemDirectory: {0}", Environment.SystemDirectory) Console.WriteLine("TickCount: {0}", Environment.TickCount) ' <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("UserDomainName: {0}", Environment.UserDomainName) Console.WriteLine("UserInteractive: {0}", Environment.UserInteractive) ' <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("UserName: {0}", Environment.UserName) Console.WriteLine("Version: {0}", Environment.Version.ToString()) Console.WriteLine("WorkingSet: {0}", Environment.WorkingSet) ' No example for Exit(exitCode) because doing so would terminate this example. ' <-- Keep this information secure! --> Dim query As [String] = "My system drive is %SystemDrive% and my" & _ " system root is %SystemRoot%" str = Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables(query) Console.WriteLine("ExpandEnvironmentVariables: {0} {1}", nl, str) Console.WriteLine("GetEnvironmentVariable: {0} My temporary directory is {1}.", _ nl, Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("TEMP")) Console.WriteLine("GetEnvironmentVariables: ") Dim environmentVariables As IDictionary = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariables() Dim de As DictionaryEntry For Each de In environmentVariables Console.WriteLine(" {0} = {1}", de.Key, de.Value) Next de Console.WriteLine("GetFolderPath: {0}", _ Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System)) Dim drives As [String]() = Environment.GetLogicalDrives() Console.WriteLine("GetLogicalDrives: {0}", [String].Join(", ", drives)) End Sub 'Main End Class 'Sample ' 'This example produces results similar to the following: '(Any result that is lengthy or reveals information that should remain 'secure has been omitted and marked "!---OMITTED---!".) ' 'C:\>env0 ARBITRARY TEXT ' '-- Environment members -- 'CommandLine: env0 ARBITRARY TEXT 'GetCommandLineArgs: env0, ARBITRARY, TEXT 'CurrentDirectory: C:\Documents and Settings\!---OMITTED---! 'ExitCode: 0 'HasShutdownStarted: False 'MachineName: !---OMITTED---! 'NewLine: ' first line ' second line ' third line 'OSVersion: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600.0 'StackTrace: ' at System.Environment.GetStackTrace(Exception e) ' at System.Environment.GetStackTrace(Exception e) ' at System.Environment.get_StackTrace() ' at Sample.Main()' 'SystemDirectory: C:\WINNT\System32 'TickCount: 17995355 'UserDomainName: !---OMITTED---! 'UserInteractive: True 'UserName: !---OMITTED---! 'Version: !---OMITTED---! 'WorkingSet: 5038080 'ExpandEnvironmentVariables: ' My system drive is C: and my system root is C:\WINNT 'GetEnvironmentVariable: ' My temporary directory is C:\DOCUME~1\!---OMITTED---!\LOCALS~1\Temp. 'GetEnvironmentVariables: ' !---OMITTED---! 'GetFolderPath: C:\WINNT\System32 'GetLogicalDrives: A:\, C:\, D:\ ' [C#] // Sample for Environment class summary using System; using System.Collections; class Sample { public static void Main() { String str; String nl = Environment.NewLine; // Console.WriteLine(); Console.WriteLine("-- Environment members --"); // Invoke this sample with an arbitrary set of command line arguments. Console.WriteLine("CommandLine: {0}", Environment.CommandLine); String[] arguments = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs(); Console.WriteLine("GetCommandLineArgs: {0}", String.Join(", ", arguments)); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("CurrentDirectory: {0}", Environment.CurrentDirectory); Console.WriteLine("ExitCode: {0}", Environment.ExitCode); Console.WriteLine("HasShutdownStarted: {0}", Environment.HasShutdownStarted); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("MachineName: {0}", Environment.MachineName); Console.WriteLine("NewLine: {0} first line{0} second line{0} third line", Environment.NewLine); Console.WriteLine("OSVersion: {0}", Environment.OSVersion.ToString()); Console.WriteLine("StackTrace: '{0}'", Environment.StackTrace); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("SystemDirectory: {0}", Environment.SystemDirectory); Console.WriteLine("TickCount: {0}", Environment.TickCount); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("UserDomainName: {0}", Environment.UserDomainName); Console.WriteLine("UserInteractive: {0}", Environment.UserInteractive); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console.WriteLine("UserName: {0}", Environment.UserName); Console.WriteLine("Version: {0}", Environment.Version.ToString()); Console.WriteLine("WorkingSet: {0}", Environment.WorkingSet); // No example for Exit(exitCode) because doing so would terminate this example. // <-- Keep this information secure! --> String query = "My system drive is %SystemDrive% and my system root is %SystemRoot%"; str = Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables(query); Console.WriteLine("ExpandEnvironmentVariables: {0} {1}", nl, str); Console.WriteLine("GetEnvironmentVariable: {0} My temporary directory is {1}.", nl, Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("TEMP")); Console.WriteLine("GetEnvironmentVariables: "); IDictionary environmentVariables = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariables(); foreach (DictionaryEntry de in environmentVariables) { Console.WriteLine(" {0} = {1}", de.Key, de.Value); } Console.WriteLine("GetFolderPath: {0}", Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System)); String[] drives = Environment.GetLogicalDrives(); Console.WriteLine("GetLogicalDrives: {0}", String.Join(", ", drives)); } } /* This example produces results similar to the following: (Any result that is lengthy or reveals information that should remain secure has been omitted and marked "!---OMITTED---!".) C:\>env0 ARBITRARY TEXT -- Environment members -- CommandLine: env0 ARBITRARY TEXT GetCommandLineArgs: env0, ARBITRARY, TEXT CurrentDirectory: C:\Documents and Settings\!---OMITTED---! ExitCode: 0 HasShutdownStarted: False MachineName: !---OMITTED---! NewLine: first line second line third line OSVersion: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600.0 StackTrace: ' at System.Environment.GetStackTrace(Exception e) at System.Environment.GetStackTrace(Exception e) at System.Environment.get_StackTrace() at Sample.Main()' SystemDirectory: C:\WINNT\System32 TickCount: 17995355 UserDomainName: !---OMITTED---! UserInteractive: True UserName: !---OMITTED---! Version: !---OMITTED---! WorkingSet: 5038080 ExpandEnvironmentVariables: My system drive is C: and my system root is C:\WINNT GetEnvironmentVariable: My temporary directory is C:\DOCUME~1\!---OMITTED---!\LOCALS~1\Temp. GetEnvironmentVariables: !---OMITTED---! GetFolderPath: C:\WINNT\System32 GetLogicalDrives: A:\, C:\, D:\ */ [C++] // Sample for Environment class summary #using <mscorlib.dll> using namespace System; using namespace System::Collections; int main() { String* str; String* nl = Environment::NewLine; // Console::WriteLine(); Console::WriteLine(S"-- Environment members --"); // Invoke this sample with an arbitrary set of command line arguments. Console::WriteLine(S"CommandLine: {0}", Environment::CommandLine); String* arguments[] = Environment::GetCommandLineArgs(); Console::WriteLine(S"GetCommandLineArgs: {0}", String::Join(S", ", arguments)); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console::WriteLine(S"CurrentDirectory: {0}", Environment::CurrentDirectory); Console::WriteLine(S"ExitCode: {0}", __box(Environment::ExitCode)); Console::WriteLine(S"HasShutdownStarted: {0}", __box(Environment::HasShutdownStarted)); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console::WriteLine(S"MachineName: {0}", Environment::MachineName); Console::WriteLine(S"NewLine: {0} first line {0} second line {0} third line", Environment::NewLine); Console::WriteLine(S"OSVersion: {0}", Environment::OSVersion); Console::WriteLine(S"StackTrace: ' {0}'", Environment::StackTrace); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console::WriteLine(S"SystemDirectory: {0}", Environment::SystemDirectory); Console::WriteLine(S"TickCount: {0}", __box(Environment::TickCount)); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console::WriteLine(S"UserDomainName: {0}", Environment::UserDomainName); Console::WriteLine(S"UserInteractive: {0}", __box(Environment::UserInteractive)); // <-- Keep this information secure! --> Console::WriteLine(S"UserName: {0}", Environment::UserName); Console::WriteLine(S"Version: {0}", Environment::Version); Console::WriteLine(S"WorkingSet: {0}", __box(Environment::WorkingSet)); // No example for Exit(exitCode) because doing so would terminate this example. // <-- Keep this information secure! --> String* query = S"My system drive is %SystemDrive% and my system root is %SystemRoot%"; str = Environment::ExpandEnvironmentVariables(query); Console::WriteLine(S"ExpandEnvironmentVariables: {0} {1}", nl, str); Console::WriteLine(S"GetEnvironmentVariable: {0} My temporary directory is {1}.", nl, Environment::GetEnvironmentVariable(S"TEMP")); Console::WriteLine(S"GetEnvironmentVariables: "); IDictionary* environmentVariables = Environment::GetEnvironmentVariables(); IEnumerator* myEnum = environmentVariables->GetEnumerator(); while (myEnum->MoveNext()) { DictionaryEntry* de = __try_cast<DictionaryEntry*>(myEnum->Current); Console::WriteLine(S" {0} = {1}", de->Key, de->Value); } Console::WriteLine(S"GetFolderPath: {0}", Environment::GetFolderPath(Environment::SpecialFolder::System)); String* drives[] = Environment::GetLogicalDrives(); Console::WriteLine(S"GetLogicalDrives: {0}", String::Join(S", ", drives)); } /* This example produces results similar to the following: (Any result that is lengthy or reveals information that should remain secure has been omitted and marked S"!---OMITTED---!".) C:\>env0 ARBITRARY TEXT -- Environment members -- CommandLine: env0 ARBITRARY TEXT GetCommandLineArgs: env0, ARBITRARY, TEXT CurrentDirectory: C:\Documents and Settings\!---OMITTED---! ExitCode: 0 HasShutdownStarted: False MachineName: !---OMITTED---! NewLine: first line second line third line OSVersion: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600.0 StackTrace: ' at System::Environment::GetStackTrace(Exception e) at System::Environment::GetStackTrace(Exception e) at System::Environment::get_StackTrace() at Sample::Main()' SystemDirectory: C:\WINNT\System32 TickCount: 17995355 UserDomainName: !---OMITTED---! UserInteractive: True UserName: !---OMITTED---! Version: !---OMITTED---! WorkingSet: 5038080 ExpandEnvironmentVariables: My system drive is C: and my system root is C:\WINNT GetEnvironmentVariable: My temporary directory is C:\DOCUME~1\!---OMITTED---!\LOCALS~1\Temp. GetEnvironmentVariables: !---OMITTED---! GetFolderPath: C:\WINNT\System32 GetLogicalDrives: A:\, C:\, D:\ */
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Requirements
Namespace: System
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 family, .NET Compact Framework
Assembly: Mscorlib (in Mscorlib.dll)