Cannot find my config file

Question

I need to read/write to a config file not related to any exe. I'm trying this:

        var appConfiguration = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(new ExeConfigurationFileMap() { ExeConfigFilename = "SlamDunkSuper.config" }, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
        if(appConfiguration == null) {

           //Configuration file not found, so throw an exception
           //TODO: thow an exception here
        } else {

           //Have Configuration, so work on the contents
           var fileEnvironment = appConfiguration.GetSection("fileEnvironment");
        }

No exception is thrown, but fileEnvironment is always null. Here is the file contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
   <configSections>
      <section name="fileEnvironment" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler"/>
   </configSections>

   <fileEnvironment>
      <add key="DxStudioLocation" value="123456"/>
   </fileEnvironment>
</configuration>

Someone please lead me out of the wilderness. I also don't know how to write, or change, an entry in the NameValueCollection, after I get the contents of the section. Thanks

Do you have several projects in your solution? Is the configuration file in the project that you have as your startup application? — Mharlin, Jan 20 '12 at 22:54
Yes, there will be 5 projects, three of which need to access this same config file. — JimBoone, Jan 20 '12 at 23:34
This is a config file not related to any exe. I thought that I could use this as a common config platform. The application must run from a main exe or from a console app that exercises each project. — JimBoone, Jan 20 '12 at 23:37

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 21 '12 at 23:02

You can globalize AppSettingsSection with some minor adjustments:

<section name="fileEnvironment" type="System.Configuration.AppSettingsSection"/>

Consume with:

        var appConfiguration = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(new ExeConfigurationFileMap() { ExeConfigFilename = "SlamDunkSuper.config" }, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);

        if (!appConfiguration.HasFile) // no need to null check, ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration will always return an object or throw ArgumentException
        {
            //Configuration file not found, so throw an exception
        }
        else
        {
            var section = appConfiguration.GetSection("fileEnvironment") as AppSettingsSection;
            if (section != null)
            {
                var dxStudioLocation = section.Settings["DxStudioLocation"].Value;
            }
        }

score -2 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 21 '12 at 09:50

-2

In .net the config file is chosen by the running exe file, so if you have 5 projects (4 dll's and one exe), and each project has a different config file when you will run your app from the exe file the dll's which are loaded by him will think that the config file of the exe is theirs config file.

in other words, to read the config file of the dll project you need to open it explicitly using his path.

hope it helps

answered Jan 21 '12 at 09:50

OopsUser

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OK, so what your saying is that I cannot use a congif file not related to an exe – JimBoone Jan 21 '12 at 11:29
You can by reading it explicitly, you need to open some xml reader on the file using his full path. – OopsUser Jan 21 '12 at 12:46
@OopsUser Incorrect. `OpenMappedExeConfiguration` can be used to override any path limitation. – KMoraz Jan 21 '12 at 23:10

Cannot find my config file

2 Answers2