C# file not being written to until the application finishes running

Question

I've got a set of Specflow tests that I'm running and I'm trying to write the results so far to a file after each scenario finishes, and then I write again at the end of the entire test run. If I run the tests in debug mode then this code is hit after each scenario, but the file only appears in Windows Explorer after all the tests finish (or I force the tests to stop). The code below, that writes to the file is in a separate project to the Specflow test project.

I originally was not flushing and had this in place of StreamWriter:

using (var file = new FileInfo(filePath).AppendText())

But that wasn't working, so after looking up various examples on the internet I added extra Flush, Close, then Process.Start, changed to StreamWriter and none of them helped. The current code that still isn't working is:

    private string rootFolderPath = Directory.GetParent(@"..\..\..\..") +@"\";
    public void WriteAllTestScenarioNames(List<ScenarioResult> results, string fileName, string directoryName)
    {
        results.Sort();
        Directory.CreateDirectory(rootFolderPath + directoryName);
        string filePath = rootFolderPath + directoryName + @"\" + fileName;
        using (var file = new System.IO.StreamWriter(filePath))
        {
            file.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToShortDateString() + " " + DateTime.Now.ToShortTimeString());
            foreach (var scenarioResult in results)
            {
                file.WriteLine(scenarioResult.ToString());
            }
            file.Flush();//flush the file to ensure that it's written now
            file.Close();//flush the file to ensure that it's written now
        }
        Process.Start(filePath);    //flush the file to ensure that it's written now
    }

In the example I'm trying there are only 3 lines in the output file when it finally finishes and the Created, Modified and Accessed dates in the file properties in Windows Explorer are identical.

I am using Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 64-bit with .NET Framework 4.5.2

Answer 1

It seems that the file is being written, the issue is that it wasn't showing up in Windows Explorer. I stepped through again in debug mode, checked in Explorer, the file wasn't there. I copied the file path from the variable's value and opened that exact path in Notepad++ and the file was there. Following that the file now is showing in Explorer and updating after each test scenario finishes.

Edit: It seems that the issue was

private string rootFolderPath = Directory.GetParent(@"..\..\..\..") +@"\";

was returning a different result after each scenario to what it was after the test run. One was in the root of my user folder (correct) and the other 3 directories above the Specflow project folder. In the first folder it's only outputting at the end, but in the second it's updating after every scenario.

Answer 2

Try this:

public void WriteAllTestScenarioNames(List<ScenarioResult> results, string fileName, string directoryName)
{
    results.Sort();
    Directory.CreateDirectory(rootFolderPath + directoryName);
    string filePath = rootFolderPath + directoryName + @"\" + fileName;
    FileStream fs = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Append, FileAccess.Write);
    using (System.IO.StreamWriter file = new System.IO.StreamWriter(fs))
    {
        file.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToShortDateString() + " " + DateTime.Now.ToShortTimeString());
        foreach (var scenarioResult in results)
        {
            file.WriteLine(scenarioResult.ToString());
        }
    }
    fs.Close();

}

Also check if the filePath is getting formed properly and whether you have permission to write in that area - I suspect it may not be getting formed properly.