Question

Right now I have a handful of those in a class:

string upgrade_file 
    = new StreamReader(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetManifestResourceStream(
        Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Name 
        + ".schemas.template.db_upgrades.txt")
        ).ReadToEnd();

I can write a wrapper function to simplify accessing embedded resources (and I will if I have to), but is there a simpler or more elegant way to access them natively with .Net?

For example, I find it strange that GetManifestResourceStream(…) isn’t static. Another example: is there some method that returns a string rather than a stream for text files?

UPDATE 1:

To be clear, I have text files in sub-directories, and I want that:

1. These files remain separate files (for example to be able to source control them separately)
2. These files remain embedded resources, i.e. compiled with the assembly.

Right now I’m doing this as shown in this image:

UPDATE 2:

I did not manage to use anything from the answers to simplify accessing the files.

Here is the helper method I’m now using in case someone else might find it useful:

/// <summary>
/// Get the content of a text file embedded in the enclosing assembly.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="resource">The "path" to the text file in the format 
/// (e.g. subdir1.subdir2.thefile.txt)</param>
/// <returns>The file content</returns>
static string GetEmbeddedTextFile(string resource)
{
    return new StreamReader(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetManifestResourceStream(
        Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Name + "." + resource)).ReadToEnd();
}

Answer 1

I have a resource file in my project named Resource1 containing a TXT file and a binary file.
I’m able to do

string str = Resource1.TxtFile;
byte[] file = Resource1.BinaryFile;