How to include simple collections in ConfigurationSection

Question

Is there a way for me to include a simple array of strings, or List on my custom subclass of ConfigurationSection? (Or an array or generic list of simple data

Answer 1

Here's a simple example.

//START CODE


//MyCompany.MyProject.csproj which results in MyCompany.MyProject.dll
//Add a Folder called "Configuration"

namespace MyCompany.MyProject.Configuration
{
    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using System.Linq;
    using System.Text;

    using System.Configuration;


    public class TransformationToDirectoryMapping : ConfigurationElement
    {

        private const string FRIENDLY_NAME = "FriendlyName";
        private const string PICKUP_FOLDER = "PickupFolder";

        [ConfigurationProperty(FRIENDLY_NAME, DefaultValue = "", IsKey = false, IsRequired = true)]
        public string FriendlyName
        {
            get
            {
                return ((string)(base[FRIENDLY_NAME]));
            }
            set
            {
                base[FRIENDLY_NAME] = value;
            }
        }

        [ConfigurationProperty(PICKUP_FOLDER, DefaultValue = "", IsKey = true, IsRequired = true)]
        public string PickupFolder
        {
            get
            {
                return ((string)(base[PICKUP_FOLDER]));
            }
            set
            {
                base[PICKUP_FOLDER] = value;
            }
        }



    }

    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    [ConfigurationCollection(typeof(TransformationToDirectoryMapping))]
    public class TransformationToDirectoryMappingCollection : ConfigurationElementCollection
    {

        protected override ConfigurationElement CreateNewElement()
        {
            return new TransformationToDirectoryMapping();
        }

        protected override object GetElementKey(ConfigurationElement element)
        {
            return ((TransformationToDirectoryMapping)(element)).PickupFolder;
        }


        public TransformationToDirectoryMapping this[int idx]
        {
            get
            {
                return (TransformationToDirectoryMapping)BaseGet(idx);
            }
        }

        new public TransformationToDirectoryMapping this[string key]
        {
            get
            {
                return (TransformationToDirectoryMapping)BaseGet(key);
            }
        }
    }

    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    public class TransformationToDirectoryMappingConfigSection : ConfigurationSection
    {
        private const string TRANSFORMATION_TO_DIRECTORY_MAPPINGS = "TransformationToDirectoryMappings";

        [ConfigurationProperty(TRANSFORMATION_TO_DIRECTORY_MAPPINGS)]
        public TransformationToDirectoryMappingCollection TransformationToDirectoryMappingItems
        {
            get { return ((TransformationToDirectoryMappingCollection)(base[TRANSFORMATION_TO_DIRECTORY_MAPPINGS])); }
        }
    }

    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    public static class MyRetriever
    {
        public const string MAPPINGS_CONFIGURATION_SECTION_NAME = "TransformationToDirectoryMappingsSection";

        public static TransformationToDirectoryMappingCollection GetTheCollection()
        {
            TransformationToDirectoryMappingConfigSection mappingsSection = (TransformationToDirectoryMappingConfigSection)ConfigurationManager.GetSection(MAPPINGS_CONFIGURATION_SECTION_NAME);
            if (mappingsSection != null)
            {
                return mappingsSection.TransformationToDirectoryMappingItems;
            }
            return null; // OOPS!

        }
    }

}

//XML for config file: