Creating A Configuration Settings Object

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi J,

As for creating custom configuration section for .NET framework application
configuration file, you have two means according to the .net framework 2.0
configuration section handler interface:

1. Use the existing configuration classes to build your custom
comfigurationSe ction in a declarative way.

#How to: Create Custom Configuration Sections Using ConfigurationSe ction
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2tw134k3.aspx

http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/cu...ctionsNet2.asp
2. Using built-in classes may have few customzation ability such as control
the exact element name or collection section's child elements. thus, you
can also build a custom section through complete programmatic way by using
the IConfigurationS ectionHandler interface:

#How to: Create Custom Configuration Sections Using
IConfigurationS ectionHandler
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms228056.aspx

in this case, you will write all the code that do the xml reading/writing
for your custom section

Here is a list of all those .NET 2.0 configuration section classes you can
use:

#Classes Used to Create Custom Section Handlers
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...62(vs.80).aspx

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Steven Cheng

Microsoft MSDN Online Support Lead

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For the most part, the built in stuff is working for me. The one thing that
i would like is to be able to have config sections within sections...

So I can reference settings like such:

My.Settings.Set ting1
My.Settings.Set ting2
My.Settings.Cat egory1.Setting1
My.Settings.Cat egory2.Setting2

Is there a way to have this sort of hierarchical settings configuration with
the built in stuff?

Thanks.

J
"Steven Cheng[MSFT]" <st*****@online .microsoft.comw rote in message
news:jD******** ******@TK2MSFTN GHUB02.phx.gbl. ..

Hi J,

As for creating custom configuration section for .NET framework
application
configuration file, you have two means according to the .net framework 2.0
configuration section handler interface:

1. Use the existing configuration classes to build your custom
comfigurationSe ction in a declarative way.

#How to: Create Custom Configuration Sections Using ConfigurationSe ction
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2tw134k3.aspx

http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/cu...ctionsNet2.asp
2. Using built-in classes may have few customzation ability such as
control
the exact element name or collection section's child elements. thus, you
can also build a custom section through complete programmatic way by using
the IConfigurationS ectionHandler interface:

#How to: Create Custom Configuration Sections Using
IConfigurationS ectionHandler
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms228056.aspx

in this case, you will write all the code that do the xml reading/writing
for your custom section

Here is a list of all those .NET 2.0 configuration section classes you can
use:

#Classes Used to Create Custom Section Handlers
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...62(vs.80).aspx

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Steven Cheng

Microsoft MSDN Online Support Lead

=============== =============== =============== =====

Get notification to my posts through email? Please refer to
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscripti...ult.aspx#notif
ications.

Note: The MSDN Managed Newsgroup support offering is for non-urgent issues
where an initial response from the community or a Microsoft Support
Engineer within 1 business day is acceptable. Please note that each follow
up response may take approximately 2 business days as the support
professional working with you may need further investigation to reach the
most efficient resolution. The offering is not appropriate for situations
that require urgent, real-time or phone-based interactions or complex
project analysis and dump analysis issues. Issues of this nature are best
handled working with a dedicated Microsoft Support Engineer by contacting
Microsoft Customer Support Services (CSS) at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscripti...t/default.aspx.

=============== =============== =============== =====

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Thanks for your reply J,

As for the hierarchical setting you mentioned, here is my understanding:

the .NET framework configuration system can only support the following
section/group hierarchy:

* a certain section directly under the <configurationr oot
* a certain section under a section group(like <system.web>) and other
sections nested under that section group

so far I haven't found any reference about nested sections in other
sections.

As for the My.Settings.Cat egory2.Setting2 like section, one way to
achive this setting structure is a below:

* create a custom section, this is the "My"

* in "My" configuration section, define "Settings" as a sub property(of
ConfigurationEl ement derived type)

* in "Settings" configuration Element you define "Category2" as a sub
property

* in "Category2" configuration Element class, you define "Setting2" as a
sub property

How do you think?

Sincerely,

Steven Cheng

Microsoft MSDN Online Support Lead
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.