Environment variables in a store app

Question

Hi

  I´ve been trying to write my first Windows store app but can´t find any documentation on how I would go about printing the current OS Environment variables and their values within a text field.  As far as I understand it using regular c# I access the information using System.Enviroment.getEnvironmentVariables() 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/1h5xxewc(v=vs.110).aspx?cs-save-lang=1&cs-lang=csharp#code-snippet-2

  but when I try to compile the hello World tutorial app on the msdn website replacing the greetings.outputText with the environment contents I get an error saying System.Environment does not contain a definition for getEnvironmentVariables.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh986965.aspx?cs-save-lang=1&cs-lang=csharp#code-snippet-8

  I found one more post stating the feature is not actually implemented and a series of helper functions can be used instead, but unfortunately those don't provide a way to check the whole environment for stray or new variables.

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsapps/en-US/87cbf2c0-32fd-471b-b5b3-fd4f13802b2d/environment-variables-query?forum=winappswithnativecode

  Now, if the above is correct then I guess the only way to access the environment on my running Windows 8 is to retrieve the keys from the local registry.  Does anyone have tips on how to iterate over registry environment variables using visual c# or an otherwise simpler way to display on screen the current environment context of a running app?

Answer 1

Hi Ævar Guðmundsson,

The API you found not work with Windows Store App, as you can see from the version information:

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4.5.2, 4.5.1, 4.5, 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1

If the API is workable for Windows Store App we should be able to see something different, for instance Exception Class:

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4.5.2, 4.5.1, 4.5, 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1

Portable Class Library

Supported in: Portable Class Library

.NET for Windows Store apps

Supported in: Windows 8

.NET for Windows Phone apps

Supported in: Windows Phone 8.1, Windows Phone 8, Silverlight 8.1

As we know that Windows Store App runs in a sandbox mode, we cannot get the system information unless system provide us API, but unfortunately the answer is no.

--James

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Answer 2

I'm in the exact same boat. This might help: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.storage.applicationdata.aspx

There are APIs here that will get you to certain system folders if you're looking for say something like %localappdata% like I was.