App.config - custom section not working

5

votes

I recently started building a console version of a web application. I copied my custom sections from my web.config. to my app.config. When I go to get config information i get this error:

An error occurred creating the configuration section handler for x/y: Could not load type 'x' from assembly 'System.Configuration

The line that it is not liking is:

return ConfigurationManager.GetSection("X/Y") as Z;

Anyone run into something like this?

I was able to add

<add key="IsReadable" value="0"/>

in the appSettings and read it.

Addition:

I do actually have this defined about the custom section:

  <configSections>
    <sectionGroup name="x">
      <section name="y" type="zzzzz"/>
    </sectionGroup>

  </configSections>

c#

4

votes

it sounds like your config-section handler is not defined

<configSection>
    <section
            name="YOUR_CLASS_NAME_HERE"
            type="YOUR.NAMESPACE.CLASSNAME, YOUR.NAMESPACE, Version=1.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=PUBLIC_TOKEN_ID_FROM_ASSEMBLY"
            allowLocation="true"
            allowDefinition="Everywhere"
          />
</configSection>

3

votes

I had this identical issue recently. I created a custom sectiongroup for a web application(ran just fine), but when I ported this layer to a console app, the sectiongroup was failing.

You were correct in your question regarding how much of the "type" is required in your section definition. I've modified your configuration section with an example below:

<configSection>
    <section
        name="yourClassName"
        type="your.namespace.className, your.assembly"
        allowLocation="true"
        allowDefinition="Everywhere" />
</configSection>

You'll notice, the type now has class name followed by assembly name. This is required for interaction outside of a web environment.

NOTE: Assembly name does not necessarily equal your namespace(for a given section).

0

votes

If you want a custom config handler you have to define the class and reference it as shown by Steven Lowe. You can inherit from predefined handlers, or you can just use the value/key pair that is offered in appSetting section as you noted.

0

votes

At the top of your file you require to have configSection tag with inside the section.

You can have sectionGroup too. Example:

<configuration>
   <configSections>
     <sectionGroup name="x">
       <section name="y" type="a, b"/>
     </sectionGroup>
    <configSections>
</configuration>

0

votes

This class works as a general custom configuration section handler for any type...

public class XmlConfigurator : IConfigurationSectionHandler
    {
        public object Create(object parent, object configContext, XmlNode section)
        {
            if (section == null) return null;
            Type sectionType = Type.GetType((string)(section.CreateNavigator()).Evaluate("string(@configType)"));
            XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(sectionType);
            return xs.Deserialize(new XmlNodeReader(section));
        }
    }

In your app.config, add

  <section name="NameofConfigSection"  type="NameSpace.XmlConfigurator, NameSpace.Assembly"/>

And in the configuration section element, add an attribute to specify the type you want the root element deserialized into..

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<NameofConfigSection configType="NameSpace.NameofTypeToDeserializeInto, Namespace.Assembly" >

 ... 

</NameofConfigSection>

App.config - custom section not working

5 Answers