Custom app.config Config Section Handler

Question

What is the correct way to pick up the list of \"pages\" via a class that inherits from System.Configuration.Section if I used a app.config like this?

Answer 1

First you add a property in the class that extends Section:

[ConfigurationProperty("pages", IsDefaultCollection = false)]
[ConfigurationCollection(typeof(PageCollection), AddItemName = "add")]
public PageCollection Pages {
    get {
        return (PageCollection) this["pages"];
    }
}

Then you need to make a PageCollection class. All the examples I've seen are pretty much identical so just copy this one and rename "NamedService" to "Page".

Finally add a class that extends ObjectConfigurationElement:

public class PageElement : ObjectConfigurationElement {
    [ConfigurationProperty("title", IsRequired = true)]
    public string Title {
        get {
            return (string) this["title"];
        }
        set {
            this["title"] = value;
        }
    }

    [ConfigurationProperty("url", IsRequired = true)]
    public string Url {
        get {
            return (string) this["url"];
        }
        set {
            this["url"] = value;
        }
    }
}

Here are some files from a sample implementation:

• Sample config
• Collection and element classes
• Config section class