SectionInformation.ProtectSection Method (System.Configuration)

ProtectSection Method

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This page is specific to

Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

Other versions are also available for the following:

.NET Framework Class Library

SectionInformation..::.ProtectSection Method

Marks a configuration section for protection.

Namespace: System.Configuration
Assembly: System.Configuration (in System.Configuration.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

Public Sub ProtectSection ( _
    protectionProvider As String _
)

Visual Basic (Usage)

Dim instance As SectionInformation
Dim protectionProvider As String

instance.ProtectSection(protectionProvider)

public void ProtectSection(
    string protectionProvider
)

Visual C++

public:
void ProtectSection(
    String^ protectionProvider
)

JScript

public function ProtectSection(
    protectionProvider : String
)

Parameters

protectionProvider: Type: System..::.String
The name of the protection provider to use.

Exceptions

Exception	Condition
InvalidOperationException	The AllowLocation property is set to false. - or - The target section is already a protected data section.

Exception

Condition

InvalidOperationException

The AllowLocation property is set to false.

- or -

The target section is already a protected data section.

Remarks

The ProtectSection method marks the section for encryption so it will be written in encrypted form on disk.

The following protection providers are included by default:

DpapiProtectedConfigurationProvider

RsaProtectedConfigurationProvider

Note:
If you call the ProtectSection method with a nullNothingnullptra null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic) parameter or an empty string, the RsaProtectedConfigurationProvider class is used as the protection provider.

For more information about protected configuration sections, see Encrypting Configuration Information Using Protected Configuration.

Examples

The following example shows how to use the ProtectSection method.

Visual Basic

Public Shared Sub ProtectSection() 

    ' Get the current configuration file.
    Dim config _
    As System.Configuration.Configuration = _
    ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration( _
    ConfigurationUserLevel.None)


    ' Get the section.
    Dim section As UrlsSection = _
    CType(config.GetSection("MyUrls"), UrlsSection)


    ' Protect (encrypt)the section.
    section.SectionInformation.ProtectSection( _
    "RsaProtectedConfigurationProvider")

    ' Save the encrypted section.
    section.SectionInformation.ForceSave = True

    config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Full)

    ' Display decrypted configuration 
    ' section. Note, the system
    ' uses the Rsa provider to decrypt
    ' the section transparently.
    Dim sectionXml As String = _
    section.SectionInformation.GetRawXml()

    Console.WriteLine("Decrypted section:")
    Console.WriteLine(sectionXml)

End Sub 'ProtectSection

static public void ProtectSection()
{

    // Get the current configuration file.
    System.Configuration.Configuration config =
            ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(
            ConfigurationUserLevel.None);


    // Get the section.
    UrlsSection section =
        (UrlsSection)config.GetSection("MyUrls");


    // Protect (encrypt)the section.
    section.SectionInformation.ProtectSection(
        "RsaProtectedConfigurationProvider");

    // Save the encrypted section.
    section.SectionInformation.ForceSave = true;

    config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Full);

    // Display decrypted configuration 
    // section. Note, the system
    // uses the Rsa provider to decrypt
    // the section transparently.
    string sectionXml =
        section.SectionInformation.GetRawXml();

    Console.WriteLine("Decrypted section:");
    Console.WriteLine(sectionXml);

}

Platforms

Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Version Information