App config for dynamically loaded assemblies

Question

I\'m trying to load modules into my application dynamically, but I want to specify separate app.config files for each one.

Say I have following app.config setting for ma

Answer 1

As far as I know, you need separate application domains for the app.config to work separately. The creation of an AppDomainSetup allows you to specify which config file to use. Here's how I do it:

try
{
  //Create the new application domain
  AppDomainSetup ads = new AppDomainSetup();
  ads.ApplicationBase = Path.GetDirectoryName(config.ExePath) + @"\";
  ads.ConfigurationFile = 
    Path.GetDirectoryName(config.ExePath) + @"\" + config.ExeName + ".config";
  ads.ShadowCopyFiles = "false";
  ads.ApplicationName = config.ExeName;

  AppDomain newDomain = AppDomain.CreateDomain(config.ExeName + " Domain", 
    AppDomain.CurrentDomain.Evidence, ads);

  //Execute the application in the new appdomain
  retValue = newDomain.ExecuteAssembly(config.ExePath, 
    AppDomain.CurrentDomain.Evidence, null);

  //Unload the application domain
  AppDomain.Unload(newDomain);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
  Trace.WriteLine("APPLICATION LOADER: Failed to start application at:  " + 
    config.ExePath);
  HandleTerminalError(e);
}

Another way you could go about getting the desired effect would be to implement your configuration values inside a resource file compiled into each of your DLLs. A simple interface over the configuration object would allow you to switch out looking in an app.config versus looking in a resource file.