Loading settings from an ini/xml file

How do I load a setting from an external xml file located in the same folder as my pro开发者_StackOverflow社区gram? Or should I be using an old school .ini file? It is only the MySQL server name and a location name that I need to pass to my App.

You should look at Application Settings and the ConfigurationManager. You could also use the Connection Strings section in the app.config.

• How to: Add Application Configuration Files to C# Projects
• MySQL Connection Strings

... For AppSettings ...

C# Code... You will need reference System.Configuration

var value = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["MySetting"];

App.Config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="MySetting" value="My Value"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

... For Connection Strings ...

C# Code... You will need reference System.Configuration

var value = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["MySqlConn"];

App.Config

<configuration>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name ="MySqlConn"
         connectionString="Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;
                           Uid=myUsername;Pwd=myPassword;"/>
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

To Elaborate on Matthew W's answer, it sounds like you need to Add -> New Item -> Application Configuration File in your project. This will generate an app.config (which will compile to [executableName].exe.config).

Within the app.config, you'll have an area for ConnectionStrings. Put your connection information there and call it using ConfigurationManager.

You might want to go with the new, but in case you want to go with the INI, here's some source for a windows forms version:

using Microsoft.VisualBasic;
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Data;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
//After you've added this class code to your application, here's how you may want to use it:

//Dim objclsINI As New clsINI("c:\fName.ini")
//objclsINI.WriteINI("Settings", "ClockTime", "12:59")
//objclsINI.WriteINI("Settings", "ClockTime", "12:59", "c:\test.ini")
//Dim strData As String = objclsINI.ReadINI("Settings", "ClockTime", "(none)")

public class clsINI
{
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", EntryPoint = "GetPrivateProfileStringA", CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true)]
    private static extern int GetPrivateProfileString(string lpApplicationName, string lpKeyName, string lpDefault, System.Text.StringBuilder lpReturnedString, int nSize, string lpFileName);
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", EntryPoint = "WritePrivateProfileStringA", CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true)]
    private static extern int WritePrivateProfileString(string lpApplicationName, string lpKeyName, string lpString, string lpFileName);
    [DllImport("kernel32.dll", EntryPoint = "WritePrivateProfileStringA", CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true)]
    private static extern int FlushPrivateProfileString(int lpApplicationName, int lpKeyName, int lpString, string lpFileName);
    // API functions



    string strFilename;
    string strSection;

    string strKey;
    // Constructor, accepting a filename
    public clsINI(string Filename)
    {
        strFilename = Filename;
    }
    // Overloaded Constructor Creating The Default FileName
    public clsINI()
    {
        strFilename = Application.StartupPath + "\\" + Application.ProductName + ".ini";
    }

    // filename property
    public string FileName {
        get { return strFilename; }
        set { strFilename = value; }
    }
    // Section property
    public string Section {
        get { return strSection; }
        set { strSection = value; }
    }
    // Key property
    public string Key {
        get { return strKey; }
        set { strKey = value; }
    }

    public string ReadINI(string Default)
    {
        string functionReturnValue = null;
        // Returns a string from your INI file
        int intCharCount = 0;
        string strMessage = null;
        System.Text.StringBuilder objResult = new System.Text.StringBuilder(256);
        strMessage = "";
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(strKey))
            strMessage = "The INI File Class Does Not Have A Defined Key To Read.";
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(strSection))
            strMessage = strMessage + ControlChars.CrLf + "The INI File Class Does Not Have A Defined Section To Read.";
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(strMessage)) {
            MessageBox.Show(strMessage, "INI Error");
            return;
        }
        intCharCount = GetPrivateProfileString(strSection, strKey, Default, objResult, objResult.Capacity, strFilename);
        if (intCharCount > 0)
            functionReturnValue = Strings.Left(objResult.ToString(), intCharCount);
        return functionReturnValue;
    }

    public string ReadINI(string Key, string Default)
    {
        string functionReturnValue = null;
        // Returns a string from your INI file
        int intCharCount = 0;
        System.Text.StringBuilder objResult = new System.Text.StringBuilder(256);
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(strSection)) {
            MessageBox.Show("The INI File Class Does Not Have A Defined Section.", "INI Error");
            return;
        }
        strKey = Key;
        intCharCount = GetPrivateProfileString(strSection, Key, Default, objResult, objResult.Capacity, strFilename);
        if (intCharCount > 0)
            functionReturnValue = Strings.Left(objResult.ToString(), intCharCount);
        return functionReturnValue;
    }

    public string ReadINI(string Section, string Key, string Default)
    {
        string functionReturnValue = null;
        // Returns a string from your INI file
        int intCharCount = 0;
        System.Text.StringBuilder objResult = new System.Text.StringBuilder(256);
        strSection = Section;
        strKey = Key;
        intCharCount = GetPrivateProfileString(Section, Key, Default, objResult, objResult.Capacity, strFilename);
        if (intCharCount > 0)
            functionReturnValue = Strings.Left(objResult.ToString(), intCharCount);
        return functionReturnValue;
    }

    public string ReadINI(string Section, string Key, string Default, string sFileName)
    {
        string functionReturnValue = null;
        // Returns a string from your INI file
        int intCharCount = 0;
        System.Text.StringBuilder objResult = new System.Text.StringBuilder(256);
        strKey = Key;
        strSection = Section;
        strFilename = sFileName;
        intCharCount = GetPrivateProfileString(Section, Key, Default, objResult, objResult.Capacity, sFileName);
        if (intCharCount > 0)
            functionReturnValue = Strings.Left(objResult.ToString(), intCharCount);
        return functionReturnValue;
    }

    public void WriteINI(string Value)
    {
        // Writes a string to your INI file
        string strMessage = null;
        strMessage = "";
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(strKey))
            strMessage = "The INI File Class Does Not Have A Defined Key To Write.";
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(strSection))
            strMessage = strMessage + ControlChars.CrLf + "The INI File Class Does Not Have A Defined Section To Write.";
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(strMessage)) {
            MessageBox.Show(strMessage, "INI Error");
            return;
        }
        WritePrivateProfileString(strSection, strKey, Value, strFilename);
        Flush();
    }

    public void WriteINI(string Key, string Value)
    {
        // Writes a string to your INI file
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(strSection)) {
            MessageBox.Show("The INI File Class Does Not Have A Defined Section To Write.", "INI Error");
            return;
        }
        WritePrivateProfileString(strSection, Key, Value, strFilename);
        Flush();
    }

    public void WriteINI(string Section, string Key, string Value)
    {
        // Writes a string to your INI file
        strKey = Key;
        strSection = Section;
        WritePrivateProfileString(Section, Key, Value, strFilename);
        Flush();
    }

    public void WriteINI(string Section, string Key, string Value, string sFileName)
    {
        strKey = Key;
        strSection = Section;
        strFilename = sFileName;
        // Writes a string to your INI file
        WritePrivateProfileString(Section, Key, Value, sFileName);
        Flush();
    }

    private void Flush()
    {
        // Stores all the cached changes to your INI file
        FlushPrivateProfileString(0, 0, 0, strFilename);
    }

}

.NET has the notion of a settings file associated with an assembly.

If your assembly name is:

My.Program.exe

you can create a settings file for that assembly that is automatically available through the ConfigurationManager:

My.Program.exe.config

You can easily make this a part of your project by adding an App.config file: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms184658(VS.80).aspx