System.Configuration Namespace

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ConfigurationElement Class (System.Configuration)

.NET Framework Class Library

System.Configuration Namespace

The System.Configuration namespace contains the types that provide the programming model for handling configuration data.

Classes

	Class	Description
	ApplicationScopedSettingAttribute	Specifies that an application settings property has a common value for all users of an application. This class cannot be inherited.
	ApplicationSettingsBase	Acts as a base class for deriving concrete wrapper classes to implement the application settings feature in Window Forms applications.
	ApplicationSettingsGroup	Represents a grouping of related application settings sections within a configuration file. This class cannot be inherited.
	AppSettingsReader	Provides a method for reading values of a particular type from the configuration.
	AppSettingsSection	Provides configuration system support for the appSettings configuration section. This class cannot be inherited.
	CallbackValidator	Provides dynamic validation of an object.
	CallbackValidatorAttribute	Specifies a CallbackValidator object to use for code validation. This class cannot be inherited.
	ClientSettingsSection	Represents a group of user-scoped application settings in a configuration file.
	CommaDelimitedStringCollection	Represents a collection of string elements separated by commas. This class cannot be inherited.
	CommaDelimitedStringCollectionConverter	Converts a comma-delimited string value to and from a CommaDelimitedStringCollection object. This class cannot be inherited.
	Configuration	Represents a configuration file applicable to a particular computer, application, or resource. This class cannot be inherited.
	ConfigurationCollectionAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to instantiate a configuration element collection. This class cannot be inherited.
	ConfigurationConverterBase	The base class for the configuration converter types.
	ConfigurationElement	Represents a configuration element within a configuration file.
	ConfigurationElementCollection	Represents a configuration element containing a collection of child elements.
	ConfigurationElementProperty	Specifies the property of a configuration element. This class cannot be inherited.
	ConfigurationErrorsException	The exception that is thrown when a configuration-system error has occurred.
	ConfigurationException	The exception that is thrown when a configuration system error has occurred.
	ConfigurationFileMap	Defines the configuration file mapping for the machine configuration file.
	ConfigurationLocation	Represents a location element within a configuration file.
	ConfigurationLocationCollection	Contains a collection of ConfigurationLocationCollection objects.
	ConfigurationLockCollection	Contains a collection of locked configuration objects. This class cannot be inherited.
	ConfigurationManager	Provides access to configuration files for client applications. This class cannot be inherited.
	ConfigurationPermission	Provides a permission structure that allows methods or classes to access configuration files.
	ConfigurationPermissionAttribute	Creates a ConfigurationPermission object that either grants or denies the marked target permission to access sections of configuration files.
	ConfigurationProperty	Represents an attribute or a child of a configuration element. This class cannot be inherited.
	ConfigurationPropertyAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to instantiate a configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	ConfigurationPropertyCollection	Represents a collection of configuration-element properties.
	ConfigurationSection	Represents a section within a configuration file.
	ConfigurationSectionCollection	Represents a collection of related sections within a configuration file.
	ConfigurationSectionGroup	Represents a grouping of related sections within a configuration file.
	ConfigurationSectionGroupCollection	Represents a collection of ConfigurationSectionGroup objects.
	ConfigurationSettings	Provides runtime support for reading configuration sections and common configuration settings.
	ConfigurationValidatorAttribute	Serves as the base class for the System.Configuration validator attribute types.
	ConfigurationValidatorBase	Acts as a base class for deriving a validation class so that a value of an object can be verified.
	ConfigXmlDocument	Wraps the corresponding XmlDocument type and also carries the necessary information for reporting file-name and line numbers.
	ConnectionStringSettings	Represents a single, named connection string in the connection strings configuration file section.
	ConnectionStringSettingsCollection	Contains a collection of ConnectionStringSettings objects.
	ConnectionStringsSection	Provides programmatic access to the connection strings configuration-file section.
	ContextInformation	Encapsulates the context information that is associated with a ConfigurationElement object. This class cannot be inherited.
	DefaultSection	Represents a basic configuration-section handler that exposes the configuration section's XML for both read and write access.
	DefaultSettingValueAttribute	Specifies the default value for an application settings property.
	DefaultValidator	Provides validation of an object. This class cannot be inherited.
	DictionarySectionHandler	Provides key/value pair configuration information from a configuration section.
	DpapiProtectedConfigurationProvider	Provides a ProtectedConfigurationProvider object that uses the Windows data protection API (DPAPI) to encrypt and decrypt configuration data.
	ElementInformation	Contains meta-information about an individual element within the configuration. This class cannot be inherited.
	ExeConfigurationFileMap	Defines the configuration file mapping for an Exe.config file. This class cannot be inherited.
	ExeContext	Manages the path context for the current application. This class cannot be inherited.
	GenericEnumConverter	Converts between a string and an enumeration type.
	IgnoreSection	Provides a wrapper type definition for configuration sections that are not handled by the System.Configuration types.
	IgnoreSectionHandler	Provides a legacy section-handler definition for configuration sections that are not handled by the System.Configuration types.
	InfiniteIntConverter	Converts between a string and the standard infinite or integer value.
	InfiniteTimeSpanConverter	Converts between a string and the standard infinite TimeSpan value.
	IntegerValidator	Provides validation of an Int32.
	IntegerValidatorAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to perform integer validation on a configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	KeyValueConfigurationCollection	Contains a collection of KeyValueConfigurationElement objects.
	KeyValueConfigurationElement	Represents a configuration element that contains a key/value pair.
	LocalFileSettingsProvider	Provides persistence for application settings classes.
	LongValidator	Provides validation of an Int64.
	LongValidatorAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to perform long-integer validation on a configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	NameValueConfigurationCollection	Contains a collection of NameValueConfigurationElement objects. This class cannot be inherited.
	NameValueConfigurationElement	A configuration element that contains a String name and String value. This class cannot be inherited.
	NameValueFileSectionHandler	Provides access to a configuration file. This type supports the .NET Framework configuration infrastructure and is not intended to be used directly from your code.
	NameValueSectionHandler	Provides name/value-pair configuration information from a configuration section.
	NoSettingsVersionUpgradeAttribute	Specifies that a settings provider should disable any logic that gets invoked when an application upgrade is detected. This class cannot be inherited.
	PositiveTimeSpanValidator	Provides validation of a TimeSpan object. This class cannot be inherited.
	PositiveTimeSpanValidatorAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to perform time validation on a configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	PropertyInformation	Contains meta-information on an individual property within the configuration. This type cannot be inherited.
	PropertyInformationCollection	Contains a collection of PropertyInformation objects. This class cannot be inherited.
	ProtectedConfiguration	Provides access to the protected-configuration providers for the current application's configuration file.
	ProtectedConfigurationProvider	Is the base class to create providers for encrypting and decrypting protected-configuration data.
	ProtectedConfigurationProviderCollection	Provides a collection of ProtectedConfigurationProvider objects.
	ProtectedConfigurationSection	Provides programmatic access to the configProtectedData configuration section. This class cannot be inherited.
	ProtectedProviderSettings	Represents a group of configuration elements that configure the providers for the <configProtectedData> configuration section.
	ProviderSettings	Represents a group of configuration elements that configure a provider.
	ProviderSettingsCollection	Represents a collection of ProviderSettings objects.
	RegexStringValidator	Provides validation of a string based on the rules provided by a regular expression.
	RegexStringValidatorAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to perform string validation on a configuration property using a regular expression. This class cannot be inherited.
	RsaProtectedConfigurationProvider	Provides a ProtectedConfigurationProvider that uses RSA encryption to encrypt and decrypt configuration data.
	SectionInformation	Contains meta-information on an individual section within the configuration. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingAttribute	Represents a custom settings attribute used to associate settings information with a settings property.
	SettingChangingEventArgs	Provides data for the SettingChanging event.
	SettingElement	Represents a simplified configuration element used for updating elements in the configuration. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingElementCollection	Contains a collection of SettingElement objects. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingsAttributeDictionary	Represents a collection of key/value pairs used to describe a configuration object as well as a SettingsProperty object.
	SettingsBase	Provides the base class used to support user property settings.
	SettingsContext	Provides contextual information that the provider can use when persisting settings.
	SettingsDescriptionAttribute	Provides a string that describes an individual configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingsGroupDescriptionAttribute	Provides a string that describes an application settings property group. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingsGroupNameAttribute	Specifies a name for application settings property group. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingsLoadedEventArgs	Provides data for the SettingsLoaded event.
	SettingsManageabilityAttribute	Specifies special services for application settings properties. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingsProperty	Used internally as the class that represents metadata about an individual configuration property.
	SettingsPropertyCollection	Contains a collection of SettingsProperty objects.
	SettingsPropertyIsReadOnlyException	Provides an exception for read-only SettingsProperty objects.
	SettingsPropertyNotFoundException	Provides an exception for SettingsProperty objects that are not found.
	SettingsPropertyValue	Contains the value of a settings property that can be loaded and stored by an instance of SettingsBase.
	SettingsPropertyValueCollection	Contains a collection of settings property values, mapping SettingsProperty objects to SettingsPropertyValue objects.
	SettingsPropertyWrongTypeException	Provides an exception that is thrown when an invalid type is used with a SettingsProperty object.
	SettingsProvider	Acts as a base class for deriving custom settings providers in the application settings architecture.
	SettingsProviderAttribute	Specifies the settings provider used to provide storage for the current application settings class or property. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingsProviderCollection	Represents a collection of application settings providers.
	SettingsSerializeAsAttribute	Specifies the serialization mechanism that the settings provider should use. This class cannot be inherited.
	SettingValueElement	Contains the XML representing the serialized value of the setting. This class cannot be inherited.
	SingleTagSectionHandler	Handles configuration sections that are represented by a single XML tag in the .config file.
	SpecialSettingAttribute	Indicates that an application settings property has a special significance. This class cannot be inherited.
	StringValidator	Provides validation of a string.
	StringValidatorAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to perform string validation on a configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	SubclassTypeValidator	Validates that an object is a derived class of a specified type.
	SubclassTypeValidatorAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to perform validation on a configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	TimeSpanMinutesConverter	Converts a time span expressed in minutes.
	TimeSpanMinutesOrInfiniteConverter	Converts a TimeSpan expressed in minutes or as a standard infinite time span.
	TimeSpanSecondsConverter	Converts a time span expressed in seconds.
	TimeSpanSecondsOrInfiniteConverter	Converts a TimeSpan expressed in seconds or as a standard infinite time span.
	TimeSpanValidator	Provides validation of a TimeSpan.
	TimeSpanValidatorAttribute	Declaratively instructs the .NET Framework to perform time validation on a configuration property. This class cannot be inherited.
	TypeNameConverter	Converts between type and string value. This class cannot be inherited.
	UserScopedSettingAttribute	Specifies that an application settings group or property contains distinct values for each user of an application. This class cannot be inherited.
	UserSettingsGroup	Represents a grouping of related user settings sections within a configuration file. This class cannot be inherited.
	WhiteSpaceTrimStringConverter	Converts a string to its canonical format.

Interfaces

	Interface	Description
	IApplicationSettingsProvider	Defines extended capabilities for client-based application settings providers.
	IConfigurationSectionHandler	Handles the access to certain configuration sections.
	IConfigurationSystem	Provides standard configuration methods.
	IPersistComponentSettings	Defines standard functionality for controls or libraries that store and retrieve application settings.
	ISettingsProviderService	Provides an interface for defining an alternate application settings provider.

Delegates

	Delegate	Description
	SettingChangingEventHandler	Represents the method that will handle the SettingChanging event.
	SettingsLoadedEventHandler	Represents the method that will handle the SettingsLoaded event.
	SettingsSavingEventHandler	Represents the method that will handle the SettingsSaving event.
	ValidatorCallback	Represents a method to be called after the validation of an object.

Enumerations

	Enumeration	Description
	ConfigurationAllowDefinition	Specifies the locations within the configuration-file hierarchy that can set or override the properties contained within a ConfigurationSection object.
	ConfigurationAllowExeDefinition	Specifies the locations within the configuration-file hierarchy that can set or override the properties contained within a ConfigurationSection object.
	ConfigurationElementCollectionType	Specifies the type of a ConfigurationElementCollectionType object.
	ConfigurationPropertyOptions	Specifies the options to apply to a property.
	ConfigurationSaveMode	Determines which properties are written out to a configuration file.
	ConfigurationUserLevel	Used to specify which configuration file is to be represented by the Configuration object returned by OpenExeConfiguration.
	PropertyValueOrigin	Specifies the level in the configuration hierarchy where a configuration property value originated.
	SettingsManageability	Provides values to indicate which services should be made available to application settings.
	SettingsSerializeAs	Determines the serialization scheme used to store application settings.
	SpecialSetting	Specifies the special setting category of a application settings property.

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Need more code examples

Jason Week -- MSFT | Edit | Show History

system.cofiguration.blahblahblah

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Why only relative paths to external config files?

ChuckC | Edit | Show History

I'm trying to reuse configuration information among several similar applications.
I want to store the config section in a separate file on my network, so I can include it in the various app.config files.
Now I find out that the configSource attribute only supports RELATIVE paths.
This is completely idiotic - how in the world are we supposed to share common config files?

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Custom filename ?

Bluesman1975 | Edit | Show History

Any way to read a custom filename ?

Thanx

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