How to include simple collections in ConfigurationSection

Question

Is there a way for me to include a simple array of strings, or List on my custom subclass of ConfigurationSection? (Or an array or generic list of simple data

Answer 1

Application Settings Architecture

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8eyb2ct1.aspx

Ok, an old post, but I remembered it when I came across a similar situation:

...

If you go to Project / Project Properties (in VS2008 or VS2010). There is a "Settings" tab.

If you add a new value....

One of the types is called: System.Collections.Specialized.StringCollection

Give it a name (I used "FavoriteColors").

Set the type (as instructed above).

Set the value(s).

The "String Collection Editor" says "Enter the strings in the collection (one per line)".

I entered:

Red

Yellow

Black

White

This will add some xml to your app.config file.

    
        
            
                red
                yellow
                black
                white
            
        
    

(You'll be better off going through the steps rather than pasting the xml above, because (for conciseness) I did not add all the xml to this post that is generated.

You should be able to "get at" the values via code like this:

private void ShowMyFavoriteColors()
{
            Properties.Settings.Default.FavoriteColors.Cast().ToList().ForEach(myfavcolor =>
            {
                string temp = myfavcolor;
            });
}

Note, the steps above will produce the below C# code (auto code created for you.... it is not code you create) but the code looks like this:

        [global::System.Configuration.ApplicationScopedSettingAttribute()]
        [global::System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute()]
        [global::System.Configuration.DefaultSettingValueAttribute(@"

  red
  yellow
  black
  white
")]
        public global::System.Collections.Specialized.StringCollection FavoriteColors {
            get {
                return ((global::System.Collections.Specialized.StringCollection)(this["FavoriteColors"]));
            }
        }
    }
}