Write values in app.config file

Question

can anyone please help me how can I set/store values in the app.config file using c#, is it possible at all?

Answer 1

For a .NET 4.0 console application, none of these worked for me. So I used the following below and it worked:

private static void UpdateSetting(string key, string value)
{
    Configuration configuration = ConfigurationManager.
        OpenExeConfiguration(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);
    configuration.AppSettings.Settings[key].Value = value;
    configuration.Save();

    ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection("appSettings");
}

Answer 2

string filePath = System.IO.Path.GetFullPath("settings.app.config");

var map = new ExeConfigurationFileMap { ExeConfigFilename = filePath };
try
{
    // Open App.Config of executable
    Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(map, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);

    // Add an Application Setting if not exist

        config.AppSettings.Settings.Add("key1", "value1");
        config.AppSettings.Settings.Add("key2", "value2");

    // Save the changes in App.config file.
    config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);

    // Force a reload of a changed section.
    ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection("appSettings");
}
catch (ConfigurationErrorsException ex)
{
    if (ex.BareMessage == "Root element is missing.")
    {
        File.Delete(filePath);
        return;
    }
    MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}

Answer 3

private static string GetSetting(string key)
{
    return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[key];
}

private static void SetSetting(string key, string value)
{
    Configuration configuration = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
    configuration.AppSettings.Settings[key].Value = value;
    configuration.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Full, true);
    ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection("appSettings");
}

Answer 4

As others mentioned, you can do this with ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Settings. But: Using Settings[key] = value will not work if the key doesn't exist.
Using Settings.Add(key, value), if the key already exists, it will join the new value to its value(s) separated by a comma, something like <add key="myKey" value="value1, value2, value3" />

To avoid these unexpected results, you have to handle two scenario's

• If entry with the given key exists? then update its value
• if entry with the given key doesn't exist? then create new entry(key,value)

Code

public static void Set(string key, string value)
{
    var config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);

    var entry = config.AppSettings.Settings[key];
    if (entry == null)
        config.AppSettings.Settings.Add(key, value);
    else
        config.AppSettings.Settings[key].Value = value;

    config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);
}

For more info about the check entry == null, check this post.
Hope this will help someone.