.net core asp.net unit tests that depend on files - appsettings.json - fail in travis

MVC's own functional/integration tests are a good example of how you can do this.

MvcTestFixture: (Notice the 'contentRoot' is calculated)https://github.com/aspnet/Mvc/blob/1.0.0/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.FunctionalTests/MvcTestFixture.cs

Example of how it's used in a test:https://github.com/aspnet/Mvc/blob/1.0.0/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.FunctionalTests/BasicTests.cs

Website or App against which the above test verifies:https://github.com/aspnet/Mvc/tree/1.0.0/test/WebSites/BasicWebSite

You should add

"buildOptions": { "copyToOutput": [ "appsettings.json" ] }

to your integration test project project.json,then .SetBasePath(env.ContentRootPath) will work, since when running the tests - appsettings.json will be at \test\IntegrationTestsProject\bin\Debug\netcoreapp1.1 - where the startup look for it.

After a series of attempts, I found a possible solution. Since I need database initiation, I derived the main Startup. Several virtual functions inside the TestStartup are used to initiate the database. Then I make the Configuration inside the main Startup class protected settable. Finally:

public TestStartup(IHostingEnvironment env) : base(env){    string basePath = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();    if (!Directory.GetCurrentDirectory().EndsWith("IntegrationTest")) {        basePath = Path.Combine(basePath, "MyProject.IntegrationTest");    }    var builder = new ConfigurationBuilder();    builder.SetBasePath(basePath)           .AddJsonFile("appsettings.json", optional: true, reloadOnChange: true)           .AddJsonFile($"appsettings.{env.EnvironmentName}.json", optional: true);    builder.AddEnvironmentVariables();    Configuration = builder.Build();}

Although the basePath fetching is a little ugly, this solution works for me.