How to Read Items into Arrays in web.config

Question

I'm trying to build an array of strings from items in a web.config file (in IIS).

web.config

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1; site1" />
    <add key="favourite" value="url2; site2" />
    <add key="favourite" value="url3; site3" />
</appSettings>

C#

// Reads first favourite into string.
public string _favourites = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings ["favourite"];

I would like each favourite to be read into string [ ] _favourites array with the semi-colon (I would parse that out later). web.config is an XML file so I can open it as one and pull the data out, but is there an easier way to do this using ConfigurationManager?

Answer 1

What if you add all Array values in single key like -

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1;site1,url2;site2,url3;site3" />
</appSettings>

Read that key value as a string -

public string _favourites = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["favourite"];

and then split the string by ','(comma) like this -

string[ ] _favouritesArr = _favourites.Split(',');

This will give all values in array _favouritesArr.

Answer 2

I don't know if there is a hack to do it, but I would just have one setting with multiple values;

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1;site1;url2;site2;url3;site3;" />
</appSettings>

or

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1=site1;url2=site2;url3=site3;" />
</appSettings>

Another solution is a separate configuration file or store this in a database.

I imagine that the favourites would change and changing web.config has consequences - it may cause your app to restart.

Answer 3

How about: 1.right click on project > properties 2.Navigate to settings. If it shows, This project does not have settings file. click to create one. 3.Create a SystemCollections.Speciliazed.StringCollection 4.Name it, as you want (my example StatusReason). and in end of line on e right there is ...(three) dots 5.Press them and add as much settings needed. One per line. Sample:

Valid=979580000
Invalid=979580001
Broken=979580002
ReadyForCollect=979580003
Missing=979580004
Refine=979580005

and in web config it looks like that.

<applicationSettings>
<WebApplication.BookServices>
     <setting name="StatusReason" serializeAs="Xml">
            <value>
              <ArrayOfString xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
                xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
                              <string>Valid=979580000</string>
                <string>Invalid=979580001</string>
                <string>Broken=979580002</string>
                <string>ReadyForCollect=979580003</string>
                <string>Missing=979580004</string>
                <string>Refine=979580005</string>
              </ArrayOfString>
            </value>
          </setting>
</WebApplication.BookServices>
</applicationSettings>

and get your array of strings :

var settings = Settings.Default.StatusReason;
//TODO add any logic, if needed to split

add your project reference to properties:

using WebApplication.BookServices.Properties;

and there you have a array of settings.