ConfigurationElement Class
Assembly: System.Configuration (in system.configuration.dll)
The ConfigurationElement is an abstract class, so it cannot be instantiated. It represents an element within a configuration file.
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| An element within a configuration file refers to a basic XML element or a section. The basic element is a simple XML tag with related attributes, if any. In its simplest form, a section coincides with a basic element. Complex sections can contain one or more basic elements, a collection of elements, and other sections. |
The ConfigurationElement is used as the base class for the classes representing XML configuration elements, for instance ConfigurationSection.
You can extend the ConfigurationElement class to represent a configuration element within a ConfigurationSection section. You can also create a ConfigurationElementCollection collection of ConfigurationElement elements, as shown in the next example.
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Handling Configuration. To handle configuration information using the standard types, use one of the following approaches.
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Extending Configuration Standard Types. You can also extend the standard configuration types such as ConfigurationElement, ConfigurationElementCollection, ConfigurationProperty, and ConfigurationSection using either a programmatic or a declarative (attributed) model. Refer to the ConfigurationSection class for an example of how to extend a standard configuration type programmatically. Refer to the ConfigurationElement class for an example of how to extend a standard configuration type using the attributed model.
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Reading. You use GetSection or GetSectionGroup to read configuration information. Note the user or process that reads must have the following permissions:
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Read permission on the configuration file at the current configuration hierarchy level.
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Read permissions on all the parent configuration files.
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| Note |
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| If you use a static GetSection method that takes a path parameter, the path parameter must refer to the application in which the code is running, otherwise the parameter is ignored and configuration information for the currently-running application is returned. |
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Writing. You use one of the Save methods to write configuration information. Note the user or process that writes must have the following permissions:
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Write permission on the configuration file and directory at the current configuration hierarchy level.
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Read permissions on all the configuration files.
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Programmatic Model. This model requires that for each element attribute, you create a property to get and/or set its value and add it to the internal property bag of the underlying ConfigurationElement base class.
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Declarative Model. This simpler model, also called the attributed model, allows you to define an element attribute by using a property and then decorate it with attributes. These attributes instruct the ASP.NET configuration system about the property types and their default values. With this information, obtained through reflection, the ASP.NET configuration system creates the element property objects for you and performs the required initialization.
The following code example shows how to implement a custom ConfigurationElement.
This element is used by a custom section to define a custom section or a custom element collection.
using System; using System.Configuration; using System.Collections; namespace Samples.AspNet { // Define the UrlConfigElement. public class UrlConfigElement : ConfigurationElement { // Test flag. private static bool _displayIt = false; public UrlConfigElement(String newName, String newUrl, int newPort) { Name = newName; Url = newUrl; Port = newPort; public UrlConfigElement() { public UrlConfigElement(string elementName) { Name = elementName; [ConfigurationProperty("name", DefaultValue = "Microsoft", IsRequired = true, IsKey = true)] public string Name { get { return (string)this["name"]; set { this["name"] = value; [ConfigurationProperty("url", DefaultValue = "http://www.microsoft.com", IsRequired = true)] [RegexStringValidator(@"\w+:\/\/[\w.]+\S*")] public string Url { get { return (string)this["url"]; set { this["url"] = value; [ConfigurationProperty("port", DefaultValue = (int)0, IsRequired = false)] [IntegerValidator(MinValue = 0, MaxValue = 8080, ExcludeRange = false)] public int Port { get { return (int)this["port"]; set { this["port"] = value; protected override void DeserializeElement( System.Xml.XmlReader reader, bool serializeCollectionKey) { base.DeserializeElement(reader, serializeCollectionKey); // Enter your custom processing code here. if (_displayIt) { Console.WriteLine( "UrlConfigElement.DeserializeElement({0, {1) called", (reader == null) ? "null" : reader.ToString(), serializeCollectionKey.ToString()); protected override bool SerializeElement( System.Xml.XmlWriter writer, bool serializeCollectionKey) { bool ret = base.SerializeElement(writer, serializeCollectionKey); // Enter your custom processing code here. if (_displayIt) { Console.WriteLine( "UrlConfigElement.SerializeElement({0, {1) called = {2", (writer == null) ? "null" : writer.ToString(), serializeCollectionKey.ToString(), ret.ToString()); return ret; protected override bool IsModified() { bool ret = base.IsModified(); // Enter your custom processing code here. Console.WriteLine("UrlConfigElement.IsModified() called."); return ret;
The following configuration excerpt is used by the above example.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section name="MyUrls" type="Samples.AspNet.Configuration.UrlsSection, ConfigurationElement, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" allowDefinition="Everywhere" allowExeDefinition="MachineToApplication" restartOnExternalChanges="true" />
</configSections>
<MyUrls lockAllElementsExcept="urls">
<simple
name="Microsoft" url="http://www.microsoft.com" port="0" />
<urls>
<clear />
<add
name="Microsoft" url="http://www.microsoft.com" port="0"
lockAllAttributesExcept="port" />
<add
name="Contoso" url="http://www.contoso.com/" port="8080"
lockAllAttributesExcept="port" lockItem="true" />
</urls>
</MyUrls>
</configuration>
The following code example shows how to implement a custom ConfigurationElementCollection that contains the previously defined element.
using System; using System.Configuration; using System.Collections; namespace Samples.AspNet { // Define the UrlsCollection that contains // UrlsConfigElement elements. public class UrlsCollection : ConfigurationElementCollection { public UrlsCollection() { UrlConfigElement url = (UrlConfigElement)CreateNewElement(); // Add the element to the collection. Add(url); public override ConfigurationElementCollectionType CollectionType { get { return ConfigurationElementCollectionType.AddRemoveClearMap; protected override ConfigurationElement CreateNewElement() { return new UrlConfigElement(); protected override ConfigurationElement CreateNewElement( string elementName) { return new UrlConfigElement(elementName); protected override Object GetElementKey(ConfigurationElement element) { return ((UrlConfigElement)element).Name; public new string AddElementName { get { return base.AddElementName; set { base.AddElementName = value; public new string ClearElementName { get { return base.ClearElementName; set { base.AddElementName = value; public new string RemoveElementName { get { return base.RemoveElementName; public new int Count { get { return base.Count; public UrlConfigElement this[int index] { get { return (UrlConfigElement)BaseGet(index); set { if (BaseGet(index) != null) { BaseRemoveAt(index); BaseAdd(index, value); new public UrlConfigElement this[string Name] { get { return (UrlConfigElement)BaseGet(Name); public int IndexOf(UrlConfigElement url) { return BaseIndexOf(url); public void Add(UrlConfigElement url) { BaseAdd(url); // Add custom code here. protected override void BaseAdd(ConfigurationElement element) { BaseAdd(element, false); // Add custom code here. public void Remove(UrlConfigElement url) { if (BaseIndexOf(url) >= 0) BaseRemove(url.Name); public void RemoveAt(int index) { BaseRemoveAt(index); public void Remove(string name) { BaseRemove(name); public void Clear() { BaseClear(); // Add custom code here.
The following code example shows how to implement a custom ConfigurationSection section that uses the previously defined element.
using System; using System.Configuration; using System.Collections; namespace Samples.AspNet { // Define a custom section containing // a simple element and a collection of // the same element. It uses two custom // types: UrlsCollection and // UrlsConfigElement. public class UrlsSection : ConfigurationSection { // Test flag. private static bool _displayIt = false; // Declare the custom element type. // This element will also be part of // the custom collection. UrlConfigElement url; public UrlsSection() { // Create the element. url = new UrlConfigElement(); [ConfigurationProperty("name", DefaultValue = "MyFavorites", IsRequired = true, IsKey = false)] [StringValidator(InvalidCharacters = " ~!@#$%^&*()[]{/;'\"|\\", MinLength = 1, MaxLength = 60)] public string Name { get { return (string)this["name"]; set { this["name"] = value; // Declare a simple element of the type // UrlConfigElement. In the configuration // file it corresponds to <simple .... />. [ConfigurationProperty("simple")] public UrlConfigElement Simple { get { UrlConfigElement url = (UrlConfigElement)base["simple"]; return url; // Declare a collection element represented // in the configuration file by the sub-section // <urls> <add .../> </urls> // Note: the "IsDefaultCollection = false" // instructs the .NET Framework to build a nested // section like <urls> ...</urls>. [ConfigurationProperty("urls", IsDefaultCollection = false)] public UrlsCollection Urls { get { UrlsCollection urlsCollection = (UrlsCollection)base["urls"]; return urlsCollection; protected override void DeserializeSection( System.Xml.XmlReader reader) { base.DeserializeSection(reader); // Enter your custom processing code here. if (_displayIt) { Console.WriteLine( "UrlsSection.DeserializeSection({0) called", (reader == null) ? "null" : reader.ToString()); protected override string SerializeSection( ConfigurationElement parentElement, string name, ConfigurationSaveMode saveMode) { string s = base.SerializeSection(parentElement, name, saveMode); // Enter your custom processing code here. if (_displayIt) { Console.WriteLine( "UrlsSection.SerializeSection({0, {1, {2) called = {3", parentElement.ToString(), name, saveMode.ToString(), s); return s;
Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition
The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see System Requirements.
