How to Read Items into Arrays in web.config

Question

I'm trying to build an array of strings from items in a web.config file (in IIS).

web.config

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1; site1" />
    <add key="favourite" value="url2; site2" />
    <add key="favourite" value="url3; site3" />
</appSettings>

C#

// Reads first favourite into string.
public string _favourites = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings ["favourite"];

I would like each favourite to be read into string [ ] _favourites array with the semi-colon (I would parse that out later). web.config is an XML file so I can open it as one and pull the data out, but is there an easier way to do this using ConfigurationManager?

Duplicate? - Please see: stackoverflow.com/questions/11728491/… — Timothy Kanski
– Timothy Kanski, Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 0:05
ConfigurationManager.Appsettings will only return you the last value for the key. I found a workaround here, but I haven't tested it. codeproject.com/Articles/4302/… — Norsk
– Norsk, Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 0:11
No, that's not what I'm looking for. <add key="email" value="[email protected];fullname1" /> <add key="email" value="[email protected];fullname2" /> Put all of that in string [] emails. — jc1571
– jc1571, Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 0:11

SharadG · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-28 09:31:02Z

2

What if you add all Array values in single key like -

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1;site1,url2;site2,url3;site3" />
</appSettings>

Read that key value as a string -

public string _favourites = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["favourite"];

and then split the string by ','(comma) like this -

string[ ] _favouritesArr = _favourites.Split(',');

This will give all values in array _favouritesArr.

edited Jul 28, 2017 at 9:31

answered Jul 28, 2017 at 9:12

SharadG

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Comments

tmaj · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-28 06:12:56Z

0

I don't know if there is a hack to do it, but I would just have one setting with multiple values;

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1;site1;url2;site2;url3;site3;" />
</appSettings>

or

<appSettings>
    <add key="favourite" value="url1=site1;url2=site2;url3=site3;" />
</appSettings>

Another solution is a separate configuration file or store this in a database.

I imagine that the favourites would change and changing web.config has consequences - it may cause your app to restart.

answered Jul 28, 2017 at 6:12

tmaj

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Comments

raichiks · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-28 09:15:46Z

0

How about: 1.right click on project > properties 2.Navigate to settings. If it shows, This project does not have settings file. click to create one. 3.Create a SystemCollections.Speciliazed.StringCollection 4.Name it, as you want (my example StatusReason). and in end of line on e right there is ...(three) dots 5.Press them and add as much settings needed. One per line. Sample:

Valid=979580000
Invalid=979580001
Broken=979580002
ReadyForCollect=979580003
Missing=979580004
Refine=979580005

and in web config it looks like that.

<applicationSettings>
<WebApplication.BookServices>
     <setting name="StatusReason" serializeAs="Xml">
            <value>
              <ArrayOfString xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
                xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
                              <string>Valid=979580000</string>
                <string>Invalid=979580001</string>
                <string>Broken=979580002</string>
                <string>ReadyForCollect=979580003</string>
                <string>Missing=979580004</string>
                <string>Refine=979580005</string>
              </ArrayOfString>
            </value>
          </setting>
</WebApplication.BookServices>
</applicationSettings>

and get your array of strings :

var settings = Settings.Default.StatusReason;
//TODO add any logic, if needed to split

add your project reference to properties:

using WebApplication.BookServices.Properties;

and there you have a array of settings.

edited Jul 28, 2017 at 9:15

answered Jul 28, 2017 at 8:59

raichiks

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1 Comment

raichiks Over a year ago

Add your delimiter ';' Sorry, I did not suited my example for your direct needs. My delimiter was '=' and adding them to dictionary

var settings = Settings.Default.StatusReason;             Dictionary<string, string> statusReason= new Dictionary<string, string>();             foreach (var set in settings)             {                 string[] words = set.Split('=');                 statusReason.Add(words[1],words[0]);             }

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