Develop Reference

ConfigurationManager class. ConfigurationSection properties cannot be edited when locked

Here is code:
// These is works
Console.WriteLine(Properties.Settings.Default.name);
Configuration configFile = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.PerUserRoamingAndLocal);
KeyValueConfigurationCollection settings = configFile.AppSettings.Settings;
settings.Add("Port", "12");
// Here it fails
configFile.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);
Content of app.config file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="userSettings" type="System.Configuration.UserSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
<section name="ConsoleApplication1.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" allowExeDefinition="MachineToLocalUser" requirePermission="false"/>
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<userSettings>
<ConsoleApplication1.Properties.Settings>
<setting name="name" serializeAs="String">
<value>dasdqweqw</value>
</setting>
</ConsoleApplication1.Properties.Settings>
</userSettings>
<startup><supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.6"/></startup></configuration>
Can not understand why it is not working. Code is right or I am doing something wrong? On the line configFile.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified); it throws an exception "ConfigurationSection properties cannot be edited when locked."
What scenario I have decided to follow:
1. Via Solution explorer I am opening project properties page (Solution explorer > context menu of project node > Properties), then via Settings tab in project properties page I am creating project's application settings (value of Scope parameter is User). This creates Properties class (located in Settings.Designer.cs file) in namespace of the project & corresponding class properties. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/visualstudio/visual-studio-2008/cftf714c%28v=vs.90%29
2. To create user specific user.config file I have to change added settings & call Properties.Settings.Default.Save() method. If I just call Properties.Settings.Default.Save() without changing settings first this does not create user.config file.
Usage exmple:
Properties.Settings.Default.updateTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
Properties.Settings.Default.Save();
Console.WriteLine((Properties.Settings.Default.updateTime - DateTime.UtcNow).Hours);
Console.ReadLine();
Content of user.config:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<userSettings>
<coonfoo.Properties.Settings>
<setting name="updateTime" serializeAs="String">
<value>06/03/2018 10:42:03</value>
</setting>
</coonfoo.Properties.Settings>
</userSettings>
</configuration>

This should work.
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Configuration roaming = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.PerUserRoamingAndLocal);
ExeConfigurationFileMap fileMap = new ExeConfigurationFileMap();
fileMap.ExeConfigFilename = roaming.FilePath;
Configuration configuration = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(fileMap, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
KeyValueConfigurationCollection settings = configuration.AppSettings.Settings;
settings.Add("Port", "12");
configuration.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);
}
}
Found this which might help you.

Read settings added manually to app.config after compile

I developed a Windows service. It uses a MyService.exe.config file for configuration, that looks like this (simplified with just one setting, Prop1):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
<section name="MyNamespace.MyService.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<applicationSettings>
<MyNamespace.MyService.Properties.Settings>
<setting name="Prop1" serializeAs="String">
<value>Foo</value>
</setting>
</MyNamespace.MyService.Properties.Settings>
</applicationSettings>
</configuration>
When I deploy to a customer production environment I need to add more settings manually on the config file, for instance Prop2:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
<section name="MyNamespace.MyService.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<applicationSettings>
<MyNamespace.MyService.Properties.Settings>
<setting name="Prop1" serializeAs="String">
<value>Foo</value>
</setting>
<setting name="Prop2" serializeAs="String">
<value>Bar</value>
</setting>
</MyNamespace.MyService.Properties.Settings>
</applicationSettings>
</configuration>
Now if I start the service this lines of code:
log.Debug(Properties.Settings.Default["Prop1"].ToString());
log.Debug(Properties.Settings.Default["Prop2"].ToString());
produce following output:
Foo
Impossibile trovare la proprietà di impostazione 'Prop2'.
in System.Configuration.SettingsBase.GetPropertyValueByName(String propertyName)
in System.Configuration.SettingsBase.get_Item(String propertyName)
in System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase.GetPropertyValue(String propertyName)
in System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase.get_Item(String propertyName)
in ...
The error in Italian means "Cannot find settings property 'Prop2'".
How can I read settings added to app.config after compile time?
I'm wondering whether it is not possible to add new settings to app.config when the application is already deployed, because every setting must be compiled and made available statically in Properties.Settings.Default. So to achieve what I want should I use a settings file managed by me, like re-inventing the wheel?

Well, I had posted an idea I thought would work but went back and tested myself and it didn't. D***.
So here's a suggestion I do use when the regular Settings stuff doesn't work.
Create an XML file structured as DataSet (the easiest way to do this is write a short program that creates a DatSet, populates it, and saves it as XML.
DataSet mydataset = new DataSet("myDataSet");
DataTable mydatatable = new DataTable("myDataTable");
mydatatable.Columns.Add(new DataColumn("myColumn1"));
DataRow newrow = mydatatable.NewRow();
newrow["myColumn1"] = "somedata";
mydatatable.Rows.Add(newrow);
mydataset.Tables.Add(mydatatable);
mydataset.WriteXML(#"C:\mydataset.xml", XmlWriteMode.WriteSchema);
This creates your basic XML file.
Very Important!!!!! To serialize a DataSet and/or DataTable you MUST give them names when you create them:
new DataSet("mydataset")
Then, as long as you don't violate the integrity of the XML structure, you can add rows (and even columns) to you XML file any time you wish using your favorite text editor.
In your application you simply read the XML file back into a DataSet and iterate through your DataTable rows (and through each DataTable if you created more than one) and process accordingly.
DataSet myDataSet = new DataSet("mydataset");
myDataSet.ReadXml(#"C:\mydataset.xml")
foreach (DataTable t in myDataSet.Tables)
{
foreach (DataRow r in t.Rows)
{
//process here
}
}
Very Important!!!!! To process the data you MUST use the names for the DataSet and DataTable from the XML file.
Hope this helps. It has worked for me many times when I couldn't use or couldn't access the built-in settings handler. It does add a little bit more time to your coding but....
John

"Configuration system failed to initialize" error

I'm getting this exception when using the code:
var appSettings = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings; //Exception here
string result = appSettings["ILFSsqlServer"] ?? "Not Found"; //trying to get to this point
I'm not really sure why and from previous answers to this question I think I'm doing exactly what they suggest but to no avail.
My app.config is:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="userSettings"
type="System.Configuration.UserSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<AppSettings>
<add key="ILFSsqlServer" value="ODBC;DSN=sql server copycloas;Trusted_Connection=Yes;APP=Microsoft Office 2010;DATABASE=ILFSView;"/>
</AppSettings>
</configuration>

On your app.config you should write appSettings, lowercase A.

can't read variables out of app.config

what I have in app.config is this
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
<section name="Porject.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<startup><supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0"/></startup>
<applicationSettings>
<Porject.Properties.Settings>
<setting name="PhotoLocation" serializeAs="String">
<value>.\photos\</value>
</setting>
</Porject.Properties.Settings>
</applicationSettings>
<connectionStrings>
<add name="****" connectionString="Data Source=***;Initial Catalog=****;User ID=***;Password=***" />
</connectionStrings>
</configuration>
and this is how I call the PhotoLocation:
string s = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["PhotoLocation"];
When I make a request to get the connectionstring, there is no problem and it works fine; but when I requst the PhotoLocation it returns null.
Also the ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Count returns 0.
Does anyone have an idea on what I'm doing wrong?

simply add this in your App config file
<appSettings>
<add key="PhotoLocation" value=".\photos\"/>
<appSettings>

ConfigurationManager.AppSettings reads (as the name might suggest) the AppSettings block of your configuration.
Given you've created your own section, you want to use var section = ConfigurationManager.GetSection("Porject.Properties.Settings") and read the values from that section.

reading content of an config file into the dll associated with it

I have saved strings in a dll application's setting. I want to retireve them.
Here is the configuration file for my dll:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" >
<section name="Search.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=xxxxxxxxxxxx" requirePermission="false" />
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<applicationSettings>
<PishiSearch.Properties.Settings>
<setting name="ReadIndex" serializeAs="String">
<value>C:\Index</value>
</setting>
<setting name="WriteIndex" serializeAs="String">
<value>C:\WriteIndex</value>
</setting>
</PishiSearch.Properties.Settings>
</applicationSettings>
</configuration>
It resides in the same directory as my dll. It is called: Search.dll.config
My dll is called: Search.dll
I want to read the values of ReadIndex and WriteIndex from this config file into my dll.
Here is the code:
var executingAssembly = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
var location = executingAssembly.Location; //C:\MyApp\bin\Debug\Search.dll
var config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(location);
var sections = config.Sections; //count of this is 21
ConfigurationSectionGroup csg = config.GetSectionGroup("applicationSettings");
ConfigurationSectionCollection csc = csg.Sections;
ConfigurationSection cs = csc.Get("Search.Properties.Settings");
The code works up to getting the last line here. But how do I get the settings strings?
Yes I can use cs.SectionInformation.GetRawXml(); to get the xml and then interrogate it to get the values, but that is a kluge.
How do I read the values? Preferably into a Settings object? Many thanks!

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<applicationSettings>
</applicationSettings>
<appSettings>
<add key="ReadIndex" value="C:\Index"/>
</appSettings>
</configuration>
var executingAssembly = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
var location = executingAssembly.Location; //C:\MyApp\bin\Debug\Search.dll
var config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(location);
var sections = config.Sections; //count of this is 21
string s = config.AppSettings.Settings["ReadIndex"].Value.ToString();

you must add tag "appSettings" into tag "configuration" in your file "app.config" in visual studio
like the bellow:
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="ReadIndex" value="aaa"/>
<add key="WriteIndex" value="111"/>
</appSettings>
</configuration>
and then use this bellow code in c#
var appConfig = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);
string userName = appConfig.AppSettings.Settings["ReadIndex"].Value;
string password = appConfig.AppSettings.Settings["WriteIndex"].Value;
if you want to update your configuration you can open the "Search.dll.config" file and then update it.
please refer to the bellow answer:
Reading dll.config (not app.config!) from a plugin module