dynamic windows service name

[Rami Saad]

Hi all,

I am trying to install a service using dynamic naming. I wrote values in the
configuration file, and trying to assign one of those values to a string,
and using this string as the name of the installer

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<configuratio n>

<appSettings>

<add key="StringName " value="StringVa lue" />

</appSettings>

</configuration>

//Code in the service installer

str=System.Conf iguration.Confi gurationSetting s.AppSettings["StringName "];

this.serviceIns taller1.Service Name=str;

when using the installutil tool, I get the following exception:

An exception occurred during the Install phase.

System.Argument Exception: Must specify value for source.

Usually, if I write the string value in a normal text file, and read the
value from the file while installing (instead of reading from the
appSettings element) I don't get any exceptions and it works fine..

So what could be the reason then? and normally how can you set a dynamic
service name using the configuration file?

Thank you for your help
--
Rami Saad
Microsoft GTSC Developer support for Middle East

[Sherif ElMetainy]

Hello

The config file should have the name filename.exe.co nfig, and must be in the
same directory as the executable file. Since you are using .NET framework's
installutil.exe to install your service. In this case, you must name the
file installutil.exe .config and put it in the .NET framework folder under
the system directory. This is not practical of course.

Best regards,
Sherif

"Rami Saad" <ra*******@egds c.microsoft.com > wrote in message
news:eq******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

Hi all,

I am trying to install a service using dynamic naming. I wrote values in the configuration file, and trying to assign one of those values to a string,
and using this string as the name of the installer

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<configuratio n>

<appSettings>

<add key="StringName " value="StringVa lue" />

</appSettings>

</configuration>

//Code in the service installer

str=System.Conf iguration.Confi gurationSetting s.AppSettings["StringName "];

this.serviceIns taller1.Service Name=str;

when using the installutil tool, I get the following exception:

An exception occurred during the Install phase.

System.Argument Exception: Must specify value for source.

Usually, if I write the string value in a normal text file, and read the
value from the file while installing (instead of reading from the
appSettings element) I don't get any exceptions and it works fine..

So what could be the reason then? and normally how can you set a dynamic
service name using the configuration file?

Thank you for your help
--
Rami Saad
Microsoft GTSC Developer support for Middle East

[Simon Smith]

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 17:16:07 +0200 in article
<eq************ **@TK2MSFTNGP09 .phx.gbl> in
microsoft.publi c.dotnet.langua ges.csharp , "Rami Saad"
<ra*******@egds c.microsoft.com > wrote:

Hi all,

I am trying to install a service using dynamic naming. I wrote values in the
configuratio n file, and trying to assign one of those values to a string,
and using this string as the name of the installer

Sherif has told you why that won't work. What I do for that is:
private string ServicePrefix {
get {
Assembly currentAsm = Assembly.GetExe cutingAssembly( );
FileInfo fi = new FileInfo(curren tAsm.Location);
DirectoryInfo runFolder = fi.Directory;
string prefix = "";
foreach (FileInfo extFi in
runFolder.GetFi les("ServiceNam e.*")) {
prefix =
extFi.Extension .Replace(".","" ).ToUpper();
}
return prefix;
}
}

public ProjectInstalle r() {
// This call is required by the Designer.
InitializeCompo nent();
string serviceName = this.ServicePre fix
+ this.serviceIns taller1.Service Name;
Console.Write(" ServiceName is " + serviceName + " (enter to
continue) ");
Console.ReadLin e();
this.serviceIns taller1.Display Name = serviceName;
}

This looks for a file called ServiceName.* in the same folder as the
Service's exe and whatever the * translates to is used as the prefix
of the service name as set at design time.

This allows me to have multiple copies of my service running on the
same machine.
--
Simon
simon dot s at ghytred dot com
"If you're using slower-than-light travel, you can just pack the ship
with cloned dinosaurs and convert them to petroleum along the way..." (M.Ruff)