How do I access HttpContext.Current.Session in a class library?
So, I am creating a class library that handles user information like username, password, etc. I want to do this so that I can just reference this library with any of my web apps and not have to continuously rewrite the user information part.
In, the user information class library, I want to handle the login. I've done this before in app_code that was a part of the web project by using HttpContext.Current.Session. But, when I try to use it in my class library (even while using System.Web) it throws a compile error saying that HttpContext does not exist in this context. How can I get access to it?
Answer
When creating a utility type class that works with a dependency like HttpContext, your best bet is to pass the context or the session into the class either via a constructor or the method call. That way, it is explicit to the consumers of your class that it requires this object to function. This also allows you to test your class in isolation.
Even better, if you are working with a few specific properties that have basic types then you can accept those properties as inputs. That way, you are not creating any dependencies on a UI framework for your utility library.