自定义ConfigurationSection

Question

I use IConfigurationSectionHandler interface to get information about my custom config section. But it's deprecated and I want to use ConfigurationSection instead.

How to create custom ConfigurationSection with this view and using ConfigurationSection instead IConfigurationSectionHandler:

<CustomSectionBlaBla>
   <Parent name="DB">
       <FirstChild value="someValue"/>
       <SecondChild value="someValue"/>
   <Parent/>
    ...
   <Parent name="UI">
       <FirstChild value="someValue"/>
       <SecondChild value="someValue"/>
   <Parent/>
<CustomSectionBlaBla/>

Answer 1

Here's an example of a configuration section that I created. Should point you in the right direction.

public class ImportConfiguration : ConfigurationSection
{
    [ConfigurationProperty("importMap")]
    public ImportMapElementCollection ImportMap
    {
        get
        {
            return this["importMap"] as ImportMapElementCollection;
        }
    }
}

public class ImportColumnMapElement : ConfigurationElement
{
    [ConfigurationProperty("localName", IsRequired = true, IsKey = true)]
    public string LocalName
    {
        get
        {
            return this["localName"] as string;
        }
        set
        {
            this["localName"] = value;
        }
    }

    [ConfigurationProperty("sourceName", IsRequired = true)]
    public string SourceName
    {
        get
        {
            return this["sourceName"] as string;
        }
        set
        {
            this["sourceName"] = value;
        }
    }
}

public class ImportMapElementCollection : ConfigurationElementCollection
{
    public ImportColumnMapElement this[object key]
    {
        get
        {
            return base.BaseGet(key) as ImportColumnMapElement;
        }
    }

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

    protected override string ElementName
    {
        get
        {
            return "columnMap";
        }
    }

    protected override bool IsElementName(string elementName)
    {
        bool isName = false;
        if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(elementName))
            isName = elementName.Equals("columnMap");
        return isName;
    }

    protected override ConfigurationElement CreateNewElement()
    {
        return new ImportColumnMapElement();
    }

    protected override object GetElementKey(ConfigurationElement element)
    {
        return ((ImportColumnMapElement)element).LocalName;
    }
}

And here it is being used in the web.config:

<importConfiguration>
    <importMap>
        <columnMap localName="PropertyID" sourceName="Detail Number"/>
        <columnMap localName="DateOfOpen" sourceName="Open Date &amp; Time"/>
        <columnMap localName="StartTime" sourceName="Open Date &amp; Time"/>
        <columnMap localName="ClosingTime" sourceName="Close Date &amp; Time"/>
        <columnMap localName="StreetAddress" sourceName="Street Address"/>
    </importMap>
</importConfiguration>

Answer 2

You should check out Jon Rista's three-part series on .NET 2.0 configuration up on CodeProject.

• Unraveling the mysteries of .NET 2.0 configuration
• Decoding the mysteries of .NET 2.0 configuration
• Cracking the mysteries of .NET 2.0 configuration

Highly recommended, well written and extremely helpful!

It should show you how to get to your desired result - step by step.

The other item to check out is the Configuration Section Designer - a Visual Studio add-in that will allow you to visually design your config sections, and have CSD create all the necessary classes for you - highly recommended!