Alias to static class System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager;

Question

I would like to declare an alias to the static class : System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager;

I would like this alias to be available to all the methods of my class so I've tried to do that :

public class MyClass 
{
   using conf = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager;

   public void MethodOne()
   {
      string appConfigStr = conf.AppSettings["someAppSettings"].ToString()
   }
}

But the above raises the following error : Invalid token 'using' in class, struct, or interface member declaration

Is there something I can do to alias this configuration manager class ?

Answer 1

You can't have a using statement inside a class. The error message you are getting is very specific in this regards.
To solve it, simply put it outside of your class:

using conf = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager;

public class MyClass 
{
    public void MethodOne()
    {
        string appConfigStr = conf.AppSettings["someAppSettings"].ToString()
    }
}

Answer 2

using to create aliases must be used outside a class scope, but in in the assembly or namespace scope!

// Here here here here here here :)
using conf = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager;

public class MyClass 
{
   public void MethodOne()
   {
      string appConfigStr = conf.AppSettings["someAppSettings"].ToString()
   }
}

Answer 3

using directives can be used to create an alias within the scope of the current .cs file.

using conf = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager;

namespace MyNamespace
{
    public class MyClass 
    {
        public void MethodOne()
        {
            string appConfigStr = conf.AppSettings["someAppSettings"].ToString()
        }
    }
}

See this documentation for more information

Answer 4

You must place that using statement outside of your class definition just like the compiler is telling you.

using conf = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager;

public class MyClass 
{
   public void MethodOne()
   {
      string appConfigStr = conf.AppSettings["someAppSettings"].ToString()
   }
}

Please refer to the C# language specification under section 9.4 "Using directives".