CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#asp.netconfigurationweb-configapp-config
RKP
RKP

Reputation: 5385

storing hierarchical application settings in web.config or app.config

I need to store my application config settings in a hierarchical format in web.config or app.config. Is this possible? or I have to store it in some XML file or database and use it instead? plain name value pair format isn't enough for me.

    <appSettings>
        <Report1>
          <add key="SourceFilePath" value="value1" />
          <add key="DestinationFolderPath" value="value2" />
        </Report1>
        <Report2>
          <add key="SourceFilePath" value="value1" />
          <add key="DestinationFolderPath" value="value2" />
        </Report2>
   </appSettings>

It is a web-based reporting application and I need to store the file paths for the source files, SSIS packages, FTP server details etc.

Update: If I choose the custom config section option, can I store the settings in a separate file to keep the main web.config file clean from app settings?

Upvotes: 9

Views: 10412

Answers (4)

Johannes
Johannes

Reputation: 77

You can't store xml elements they way you suggested in appsettings. If you need a hierarchy as you mentioned try one of the following approaches

  1. Store whole xml elements in appsettings an parse the xml

    <appSettings>
  <add key="Report1" value="<Report1 SourceFilePath=""value1"" DestinationFolderPath=""value2"" />" />
  <add key="Report2" value="<Report2 SourceFilePath=""value1"" DestinationFolderPath=""value2"" />" />
</appSettings>

  2. Store the xml in config section (see answers above)

  3. Use the DslConfig project.
    Add it with NuGet and look add the AppSpike for examples.
    In your case you could create a class ReportConfig and use this class as configuration class.
    Example:

    public class Report {
  string SourceFilePath { get; set; }
  string DesinationFolderPath { get; set; }
}

Create a config File entry in Variables.var

   import ReportClassNamespace from ReportClassAssembly

   Var["Report1"] = Report(SourceFilePath:"value1",DesinationFolderPath:"value2")
   Var["Report2"] = Report(SourceFilePath:"value1",DesinationFolderPath:"value2")
  1. Try the NConfig project

Upvotes: 3

NoWar
NoWar

Reputation: 37633

The best approach I know is to create your own Settings class and serialize/desiarilze it in order to read/write your app. settings.

Also you can use Admin. page of your website to save all settings into it.

May be in your case is better to use a database to keep all settings there as well.

Upvotes: 0

Didier Ghys
Didier Ghys

Reputation: 30666

You can't do that as you suggest.

What you can do is to group by the key name the elements:

<appSettings>
      <add key="Report1:SourceFilePath" value="value1" />
      <add key="Report1:DestinationFolderPath" value="value2" />
      <add key="Report2:SourceFilePath" value="value1" />
      <add key="Report2:DestinationFolderPath" value="value2" />
</appSettings>

The best way though would be to define your own ConfigurationSection.

Here's some links about this:

Upvotes: 3

Oded
Oded

Reputation: 499002

You can't add custom elements to appSettings.

The best way to achieve a custom format it to write your own ConfigurationSettings class and use that in configuration.

This will allow you to store data in a strongly typed way as well as have meaningful element and attribute names.

See How to: Create Custom Configuration Sections Using ConfigurationSection on MSDN.

Upvotes: 6

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