How to edit application configuration settings? App.config best way to go?

Question

For my project I have settings that I added through the Settings in the project properties.

I quickly discovered that editing the app.config file directly seems to

Answer 1

I had the same problem until I realized I was running the app in debug mode, therefore my new appSetting's key was being written to the [applicationName].vshost.exe.config file.

And this vshost.exe.config file does NOT retain any new keys once the app is closed -- it reverts back to the [applicationName].exe.config file's contents.

I tested it outside of the debugger, and the various methods here and elsewhere to add a configuration appSetting key work fine. The new key is added to:[applicationName].exe.config.

Answer 2

Your answer is probably here: Simplest way to have a configuration file in a Windows Forms C# Application

Answer 3

Try this:

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

  <configSections>
   <!--- ->
  </configSections>

  <userSettings>
   <Properties.Settings>
      <setting name="MainFormSize" serializeAs="String">
        <value>
1022, 732</value>
      </setting>
   <Properties.Settings>
  </userSettings>

  <appSettings>
    <add key="TrilWareMode" value="-1" />
    <add key="OptionsPortNumber" value="1107" />
  </appSettings>

</configuration>

Reading values from App.Config File:

//This method will read the value of the OptionsPortNumber in the
//above app.config file.
private int LoadConfigData ()
    {
        System.Xml.XmlDocument doc = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
        // AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ConfigurationFile
        // points to the config file.   
        doc.Load(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ConfigurationFile);
        int smartRefreshPortNumber = 0;
        foreach (XmlNode node in doc.ChildNodes.Item(1))
        {
        //Searching for the node “”
            if (node.LocalName == "appSettings")
            {
                 smartPortNumber =Convert.ToInt32(node.ChildNodes.Item(1).Attributes[1].Value);
            }
        }
        Return smartPortNumber;
    }

Updating the value in the App.config:

//This method will read the value of the OptionsPortNumber in the
//above app.config file.
private void UpdateConfigData()
    {
        System.Xml.XmlDocument doc = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
        doc.Load(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ConfigurationFile);


        //Looping through all nodes.
        foreach (XmlNode node in doc.ChildNodes.Item(1))
        {
        //Searching for the node “”
            if (node.LocalName == "appSettings")
            {
                if (!dynamicRefreshCheckBox.Checked)
                {
                    node.ChildNodes.Item(1).Attributes[1].Value = this.portNumberTextBox.Text;
                }
                else
                {
                    node.ChildNodes.Item(1).Attributes[1].Value = Convert.ToString(0);
                }
            }
        }
        //Saving the Updated values in App.config File.Here updating the config
        //file in the same path.
        doc.Save(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ConfigurationFile);
    }

Answer 4

How are you referencing the Settings class in your code? Are you using the default instance or creating a new Settings object? I believe that the default instance uses the designer generated value which is re-read from the configuration file only when the properties are opened. If you create a new object, I believe that the value is read directly from the configuration file itself rather from the designer-generated attribute, unless the setting doesn't exist in the app.config file.

Typically my settings will be in a library rather than directly in the application. I set valid defaults in the properties file. I can then override these by adding the appropriate config section (retrieved and modified from the library app.config file) in the application's configuration (either web.config or app.config, as appropriate).

Using:

 Settings configuration = new Settings();
 string mySetting = configuration.MySetting;

instead of:

 string mySetting = Settings.Default.MySetting;

is the key for me.

Answer 5

This is silly ... and I think I am going to have to apologize for wasting everyone's time! But it looks like I just need to set the scope to User instead of Application and I can the write the new value.

Answer 6

 System.Configuration.Configuration config =ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);

        config.AppSettings.Settings["oldPlace"].Value = "3";     
        config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);
        ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection("appSettings");

Try with this code , is easy.

Atte: Erick Siliezar