Develop Reference

Extend an element in App.config

We have an app.config we are using with Carbonator:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section name="carbonator" type="Crypton.Carbonator.Config.CarbonatorSection, Crypton.Carbonator"/>
</configSections>
<carbonator defaultCulture="en-US" logLevel="1" collectionInterval="1000" reportingInterval="1000" >
<statsd server="127.0.0.1" port="8125" />
<counters>
<add path="processor_information.pct_processor_time.total" category="Processor" counter="% Processor Time" instance="_Total" />
<add path="memory.available_MBytes" category="Memory" counter="Available MBytes" instance="" />
<add path="memory.pct_commited_bytes_in_use" category="Memory" counter="% Committed Bytes In Use" instance="" />
</counters>
</carbonator>
</configuration>
We want to allow users to configure their own custom counters in an external config file that we reference from the <counters> element. For example, we would like to allow the user config file to look like:
<add path="logical_disk.pct_free_space.C" category="LogicalDisk" counter="% Free Space" instance="C:" />
<add path="logical_disk.disk_read_bytes_per_sec.C" category="LogicalDisk" counter="Disk Read Bytes/sec" instance="C:" />
<add path="logical_disk.disk_write_bytes_per_sec.C" category="LogicalDisk" counter="Disk Write Bytes/sec" instance="C:" />
I don't even know if this is possible outside of an appConfig element, but any help is appreciated.

According to this answer it should be possible. Same way is also described in this article.
But I don't think it's a good idea for one reason - if a user makes a mistake in his configuration extension, it will prevent the application from executing since the application configuration became invalid.
I would rather use the configuration in the app.config file to provide default values and implement some user configuration myself. Is such case, you can use whatever configuration format you like, for example JSON, which would be also better (easier to create and edit) for users. In your application, you simply merge both configurations (app.config values are default values which will be overwritten by the user's configuration).

Merge .net configuration files

My application has 2 config files at the moment.
App.config
Custom.config
The App.config references the Custom.config via a custom section handler like below:
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section name="Custom" type="MyApp.CustomConfigSection, MyApp" />
</configSections>
<Custom configSource="Custom.config" />
</configuration>
The problem is the Custom.config file contains a single section with many elements. I'd like to split this out so some of the elements are in one file and some are in another.
e.g. Right now I have
'<Custom>
<Group1 ../>
<Group2 ../>
<Group3 ../>
</Custom>
I'd like to make 2 or more files like below.
'<Custom>
<Group1 ../>
</Custom>'
'<Custom>
<Group2 ../>
<Group3 ../>
</Custom>'
At the moment I call ConfigurationManager.GetSection("Custom") as MyCustomConfigSection. I then have a number of classes with various configuration attributes that are populated automatically by the .net configuration.
Is there a way to do this split or can you not split 1 section into multiple files?
Thanks in advance

Pass XML data as parameter in a function call

I'm copying the MyApp.exe.config file to a separate location as an xml.
I'm using this custom config file to access and changes some settings when the application is running, rather than using the ConfigurationManager.<section> to modify the app.config.
The problem is, the default app.config file might be updated at later stage on the user machine and I want to propagate these changes back to my custom config file.
What is the best way to do this?
<configSections>
<section name="" type="" />
</configSections>
<appSettings>
<add key="" value="" />
</appSettings>
<ConnectionManangerProviders>
<provider name="" enabled="" type="">
<pollingInterval></pollingInterval>
</provider>
</ConnectionManagerProviders>
<QueueManagerProviders>
<provider name="" enabled="" type="unique" encrypted="" signed="" cryptoProvider="" />
<provider name="" enabled="" type="unique" encrypted="" signed="" cryptoProvider="">
<queueName></queueName>
</provider>
<provider name="" enabled="" type="unique" encrypted="" signed="" cryptoProvider="">
<applicationName></applicationName>
<connectionString></connectionString>
</provider>
</QueueManagerProviders>
For example, this is how the configuration file looks. Let's say one of the values of the element under <QueueManagerProviders> is modified in the app.config, how can I pass the data in this file to a method so that the method can effectively parse through it and update the appropriate section in the custom config file that I created?

This screams something about bad design, there are probably better ways to implement the whole functionality. But, if you are not in control of the "Services" part then you are stuck...
You probably need FileSystemWatcher which "Listens to the file system change notifications and raises events when a directory, or file in a directory, changes."
Add an event handler and, if your file changes, read the whole file again and parse it.

Implement a custom ConfigSection Handler (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2tw134k3(v=vs.100).aspx).

The configuration element is not declared

I'm doing some work in Visual Studio 2012 Express Edition. I have added an App.config XML file as follows:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
</configuration>
The first thing that happens is a warning comes up that says "The 'configuration' element is not declared". Does anyone know why this is happening? It looks like elements can not be declared inside of until this is resolved.
Thanks!
This is the entire XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="Version" value="779" />
<add key="TimeOut" value="60000" />
<add key="LogFileName" value="Log.txt" />
<!-- your Developer Id with eBay -->
<add key="Environment.DevId" value="" />
<!-- your Application Id with eBay -->
<add key="Environment.AppId" value="" />
<!-- your Application Certificate with eBay -->
<add key="Environment.CertId" value="" />
<!-- API Server URL -->
<!-- For production site use: https://api.ebay.com/wsapi -->
<!-- For Sandbox use: https://api.sandbox.ebay.com/wsapi -->
<add key="Environment.ApiServerUrl" value="https://api.sandbox.ebay.com/wsapi" />
<!-- EPS Server URL -->
<!-- For production site use: https://api.ebay.com/ws/api.dll"/-->
<add key="Environment.EpsServerUrl" value="https://api.sandbox.ebay.com/ws/api.dll" />
<!-- eBay Signin URL -->
<!-- For production site use: https://signin.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?SignIn -->
<!-- https://signin.sandbox.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?SignIn -->
<add key="Environment.SignInUrl" value="https://signin.sandbox.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?SignIn" />
<!-- ViewItem URL -->
<!-- For production site use: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item={0} -->
<add key="Environment.ViewItemUrl" value="http://cgi.sandbox.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item={0}" />
<!-- token is for both API server and EPS server -->
<add key="UserAccount.ApiToken" value="" />
<!-- eBay site ID -->
<add key="UserAccount.eBayUserSiteId" value="0" />
<add key="logexception" value="true"/>
<add key="logmessages" value="true"/>
<add key="logsdkmessages" value="true"/>
<add key="logsdk" value="true"/>
<add key="logfile" value="Log.txt"/>
<!-- Rule Name-->
<add key="RuName" value=""/>
<!-- Set this if you access eBay API server behind a proxy server-->
<add key="Proxy.Host" value =""/>
<add key="Proxy.Port" value =""/>
<!-- set proxy server username/password if necessary-->
<add key="Proxy.Username" value=""/>
<add key="Proxy.Password" value=""/>

Go to XML menu (visual studio top menu item) choose schemas and find for DotNetConfig.xsd and choose Use this schema.
Your problem will resolve for sure

<configuration xmlns="schema URL">
<!-- configuration settings -->
</configuration>
do changes,like above & try

I had the same issue. It is not an error, it is simply a warning; so your application should still compile. I used the following simple config file and the warning is still produced.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime
version="v4.0"sku=".NETFramework,
Version=v4.5"/>
</startup>
</configuration>
It is an issue that has been raised on the MSDN website, but it does not seem to have been satisfactorily resolved. See link below:
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/Vsexpressvcs/thread/18a1074f-668f-4fe3-a8d9-4440db797439

I had to
-> Go to XML menu (visual studio top menu item) choose schemas and select DotNetConfig.xsd AND RazorCustomSchema.xsd AND EntityFrameworkConfig_6_1_0.xsd

I just had this warning popup inside an autogenerated xml file while working on a xaml project.
Using Debug->Clean Solution and Debug->Rebuild Solution fixed it. Might want to try that before getting fancy with the schemas.

Visual Studio 2013 Express Edition is missing the DotNetConfig.xsd (https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/817322/dotnetconfig-xsd-files-not-present-in-vs-2013-express-for-desktop).
So to get rid of the warning in VS 2013 Express:
get a copy of DotNetConfig.xsd from another system or from the web (I used https://gist.github.com/eed3si9n/5dd7dd98ad2b3f668928b23477de35a3)
download to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Xml\Schemas
add the schema following Ramakrishna's answer
The warning should be gone.

Choose use this schema. DotNetConfig.xsd
XLM Menu..... Visual Studio
Works perfectly.

I was having less space on my drive which might have resulted in incomplete loading of my application solution. This "the-configuration-element-is-not-declared" problem got solved after i created some space on my drive.

I also got the same warning. After thinking about for some time I realized my error working with SQL (MS SQL).
Warning: the 'configuration' element is not declared
Using C#
App.Config code:
<connectionStrings>
<add name="dbx" connectionString="Data Source=ServerNameHere;Initial Catalog=DatabaseNameHere;Integrated Security=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
</connectionStrings>
*this calls out the database name in the connectionStrings, when I plugged in my SQL code as a practice I always use the database name, schema, then table. This practice didn't carry over well in Visual Studio as I am a beginner. I removed the db name from my SQL syntax and only called from the schema, data table. This resolved the issue for me.
Form.CS:
using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM [DatabaseName].[Schema].[TableName] WHERE [MEPeriod] = '2020-06-01'", con))
Updated to:
using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM [Schema].[TableName] WHERE [MEPeriod] = '2020-06-01'", con))
This worked for me, I hope this is found as useful.

create your own settings in xml

I'm in a ASP.NET project where I need to give several parameters to the administrator that is going to install the website, like:
AllowUserToChangePanelLayout
AllowUserToDeleteCompany
etc...
My question is, will be a good thing to add this into the web.config file, using my own configSession or add as a profile varibles? or should I create a XML file for this?
What do you do and what are the cons and favs?
I originally thought about web.config but I then realized that I should mess up with Website configurations and my own web app configuration and that I should create a different file, them I read this post and now I'm on this place... should I do this or that?

I usually use Settings - available via the project properties - Settings. These can be edited and saved in code, and I write a form / web page to edit them.
If you want to use the XML configuration, there's an attribute called file that reads external files.
You could have a web.config file and a someothername.config file. The someothername.config would have settings like:
<appSettings>
<add key="ConnString" value="my conn string" />
<add key="MaxUsers" value="50" />
</appSettings>
And the web.config would have
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<appSettings file="ExternalWeb.config">
<add key="MyKey" value="MyValue" />
</appSettings>
</configuration>
See DevX for the example I stole.

just to let you guys know that I did what configurator recommended but with a twist.
instead of asking all the time (that I need) for
System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["myKey"];
I just created a static class that would pull this values with what we call by Strongly typed values (so you don't need to remember all the values)
the mySettings class
public static class mySettings
{
public enum SettingsType
{ UserPermitions, WebService, Alerts }
public enum SectionType
{ AllowChangeLayout, AllowUserDelete, MaximumReturnsFromSearch, MaximumOnBatch, SendTo }
public static String GetSettings(SettingsType type, SectionType section)
{
return
ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[
String.Format("{0}_{1}",
Enum.Parse(typeof(SettingsType), type.ToString()).ToString(),
Enum.Parse(typeof(SectionType), section.ToString()).ToString())
];
}
}
the web.config appSettings part
<configuration>
<appSettings file="myApp.config">
<add key="UserPermitions_AllowChangeLayout" value="" />
<add key="UserPermitions_AllowUserDelete" value="" />
<add key="WebService_MaximumReturnsFromSearch" value="" />
<add key="Alerts_SendTo" value="" />
<add key="Alerts_MaximumOnBatch" value="" />
</appSettings>
</configuration>
the entire myApp.config file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<!--
###
### This file serves the propose of a quick configuration.
### Administrator can either change this values directly or use the
### Settings tab in the application.
###
-->
<appSettings>
<!-- *** User Access Configuration *** -->
<!-- Allow user to change the panels layout {1: Yes} {0: No} -->
<add key="UserPermitions_AllowChangeLayout" value="1" />
<!-- Allow user to delete a company fro monitoring -->
<add key="UserPermitions_AllowUserDelete" value="1" />
<!-- *** Web Service configuration *** -->
<!-- Maximum responses from the search service -->
<add key="WebService_MaximumReturnsFromSearch" value="10" />
<!-- *** Allerts configuration *** -->
<!-- Send the alerts to the email writeen below -->
<add key="Alerts_SendTo" value="bruno.in.dk#gmail.com" />
<!-- Send an alert when user import more than the number bellow -->
<add key="Alerts_MaximumOnBatch" value="10" />
</appSettings>
So, now I call like this:
p.value = mySettings.GetSettings(
mySettings.SettingsType.WebService,
mySettings.SectionType.MaximumReturnsFromSearch);
Hope that helps someone with the same problem :)

You may also put your configurations in a settings file. In your project, open Properties and go to Settings which looks
like so
To access the values in your code, use Properties.Settings.YourSettingName;
Use Properties.Settings.Default.Reload(); to refresh your settings during runtime