Creating Custom Configuration Sections

[raghulvarma]

Hi,

I need to have a custom connection string in the web.config because I need to ping to Database only during day time say between 8AM and 5 PM, because of this I thought of creating custom configuration.

so I tried creating a class which extends from the class ConfigurationSection, Please find the coding which I have done.

class ExtendedConnection:ConfigurationSection
    {
        // Start time of Connection
        [ConfigurationProperty("startTime", IsRequired = true)]
        public string StartTime
        {
            get { return (string)this["startTime"]; }
            set { this["startTime"] = value; }
        }
 
        // End time of Connection
        [ConfigurationProperty("endTime", IsRequired = true)]
        public string EndTime
        {
            get { return (string)this["endTime"]; }
            set { this["endTime"] = value; }
        }
 
        // Connction Name
        [ConfigurationProperty("connectionName", IsRequired = true)]
        public string ConnectionName
        {
            get { return (string)this["connectionName"]; }
            set { this["connectionName"] = value; }
        }
 
        // Connection String
        [ConfigurationProperty("connectionString", IsRequired = true)]
        public string ConnectionString
        {
            get { return (string)this["connectionString"]; }
            set { this["connectionString"] = value; }
        }
 
        public ExtendedConnection()
        { }
 
    }
 

After completing this I registed this in the web.config file as shown below.

<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="TestExtended" type="ExtendedConnection"/>
  </configSections>
  <system.web>
        <compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0" />
    <TestExtended startTime="08:00" endTime="16:00" connectionName="constring" connectionString="server=SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=master;Trusted_Connection=Yes;Integrated Security=SSPI"></TestExtended> 
    </system.web>
</configuration>
 
 

Now when I try to use the registered value "TestExtended" inside <system.web> I am getting error as "Unrecognized configuration section system.web/TestExtended."
where am I doing the mistake, please help. I am using VS2010 express edition

[Frinavale]

I think you're over complicating your requirement.
Can the user change the time frame for when the databased is pinged?

I've never implemented a class that inherits from ConfigurationSection before...but I do store a lot of application specific settings in my web.config file that I use throughout my web applications.

Like this:
(exert from web.config)

<?xml version"1.0"?>
<configuration>
  <!-- ..... -->
  <appSettings>
    <add key="startTime" value="08:00" />
    <add key="endTime" value="16:00" />
  </appSettings>
  <!-- ..... -->
</configuration>

Now when I want to retrieve these values somewhere in code I do the following:

(VB.NET)

 Dim startTime As String = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("startTime")
 Dim endTime As String = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("endTime")
 

(C#)

 String startTime = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("startTime");
 String endTime = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("endTime");
 

-Frinny

[raghulvarma]

Hi,
I agree with your solution, The solution you have provided would work 100%. Thx for your help.