Configuration Sections

The offending line of code in my app reads:

systemlist = DirectCast(System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.GetConfig("systems"), ConfigSystemList)

and this generates the error at compile time:

Error 11 'Configurations' is not a member of 'Configuration'. C:\DotNet2005\Phoenix\PhoenixUI\Login.vb 321 34 PhoenixUI

I have defined a class which implements the IConfigurationSectionHandler interface and is referenced in the <configSections> section in the app.config file. This class's Create method parses a <systems> section in app.config and returns a collection of entries in that section (ConfigSystemList as above).

I'm trying to figure out how to do the equivalent thing in 2.0 ...

- Jeff

JeffMason at 2007-9-9 >

Warning 11 'Public Shared Function GetConfig(sectionName As String) As Object' is obsolete: 'This method is obsolete, it has been replaced by ConfigurationManager.GetSection'

on a line of code which read:

systemlist = DirectCast(System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.GetConfig("systems"), ConfigSystemList)

and I was trying various things in the ConfigurationManager namespace to address the warning when I realized I was totally lost in a maze of new sparsely documented objects and methods. I stopped making changes and made my original posting here. I stupidly forgot to restore things to the way they originally were.

I am aware that the message is just a warning, but I am trying to convert my code so it compiles without warnings. I don't like code that compiles with warnings, so I'd like everything 'clean'. This is the last bit of code with "issues"..

I'd be happy to post the code if you think it helpful, but there are several pieces involved. I'll describe the pieces, and if you want more I'd be happy to post all of them.

The ConfigSystemList type above is a typed collection of ConfigSystemListEntry objects. Those objects simply expose a number of properties which identify the System, Server, Database, and other system related settings. The collection is populated by a SystemsConfigSectionHandler object (located in a 'CACommon' assembly) which implements the System.Configuration.IConfigurationSectionHandler interface.

The SystemsConfigSectionHandler is "wired up" via the app.config entry:

<configSections>
<section name="systems" type="CACommon.SystemsConfigSectionHandler, CACommon" />
</configSections>

This object parses app.config entries of the form:

It creates one ConfigSystemListEntry object per <system> line and inserts each of them into the ConfigSystemList collection. This collection is then ultimately bound to a combobox to allow the user to pick the system they want to connect to. Among other things, a connection string is built from the selected entry.

All I'd like to do is to find the "new" way to implement this capability.

Thanks for your help.

JeffMason at 2007-9-9 >

Implementing the section is really easy:

using System;
using System.Configuration;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Globalization;

namespace MyCompany.Configuration
{
public sealed class SystemsSection : ConfigurationSection
{
[ConfigurationProperty("",IsDefaultCollectionProperty=true)]
public SystemsCollection Systems
{
get
{
return (SystemsCollection)base[""];
}
}
}
public sealed class SystemsCollection : ConfigurationElementCollection
{
protected override ConfigurationElement CreateNewElement()
{
return new SystemElement();
}

protected override object GetElementKey(ConfigurationElement element)
{
return ((SystemElement)element).Name;
}

protected override ConfigurationElementCollectionType CollectionType
{
get
{
return ConfigurationElementCollectionType.BasicMap;
}
}

protected override string ElementName
{
get
{
return "system";
}
}
}
public sealed class SystemElement : ConfigurationElement
{
[ConfigurationProperty("name",IsCollectionKey=true,RequiredValue=true)]
public string Name
{
get
{
return (string)base["name"];
}
set
{
base["name"] = value;
}
}

[ConfigurationProperty("server",RequiredValue=true)]
public string Server
{
get
{
return (string)base["server"];
}
set
{
base["server"] = value;
}
}

[ConfigurationProperty("database",RequiredValue=true)]
public string Database
{
get
{
return (string)base["database"];
}
set
{
base["database"] = value;
}
}

[ConfigurationProperty("default")]
[TypeConverter(typeof(YesNoToBooleanConverter))]
public bool Default
{
get
{
return (bool)base["default"];
}
set
{
base["default"] = value;
}
}
}
public class YesNoToBooleanConverter : ConfigurationConverterBase
{
public override object ConvertTo(ITypeDescriptorContext ctx, CultureInfo ci, object value, Type type)
{
bool bValue = (bool)value;
if ( bValue )
return "yes";

return "no";
}

public override object ConvertFrom(ITypeDescriptorContext ctx, CultureInfo ci, object data)
{
bool result = false;

string value = (string)data;
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(value))
throw new ConfigurationErrorsException();

if ( value == "yes")
result = true;
else if ( value == "no" )
result = false;
else
throw new ConfigurationErrorsException();
return result;
}
}
}

josere at 2007-9-9 >

Please look through your config file and verify that each xml element that represents a config section only exists once per level. This should include sections within a <location /> path.

If you're still having trouble, please post your config file so we can help to identify the offending section. Thx...

bobbyv at 2007-9-9 >