Storing an reading a collection of App Settings...

OK - I have an App.config file and am able to read single items in name/value pairs thus:

Code:

---

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <appSettings>
      <!-- Monitor level...1=Max, 2=Min, 3=None-->
      <add key="MonitorJobEventInformationLevel" value="1"/>
      <!-- Monitor Printer Change Events? 0=No, -1 = Yes -->
      <add key="MonitorPrinterChangeEvent" value="-1"/>
      <!-- Monitor Job Added Events? 0=No, -1 = Yes -->
      <add key="MonitorJobAddedEvent" value="-1"/>
      <!-- Monitor Job Deleted Events? 0=No, -1 = Yes -->
      <add key="MonitorDeletedEvent" value="-1"/>
      <!-- Monitor Job Set Events? 0=No, -1 = Yes -->
      <add key="MonitorJobSetEvent" value="-1"/>
      <!-- Monitor Job Written Events? 0=No, -1 = Yes -->
      <add key="MonitorJobWrittenEvent" value="-1"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

---

which is accessed by:

VB Code:

Dim foo As Integer = System.Configuration.AppSettings.GetSetting("MonitorJobEventInformationLevel")

But I also have a collection (of printer names, for example) and I want to store and access this in the config file. How can this be done?

Currently I have a workaround which is:

Code:

---

      <add key="MonitoredPrintersCount" value="2"/>
      <add key="MonitoredPrinter1" value="HP LaserJet 5L"/>
      <add key="MonitoredPrinter2" value="Microsoft Office Document Image Writer"/>

---

but I would prefer a more XML approach e.g.:

Code:

---

      <monitoredprinters>
        <add DeviceName="HP LaserJet 5L"/>
        <add DeviceName="Microsoft Office Document Image Writer"/>
      </monitoredprinters>

---

Thanks in advance,
Duncan

Maybe this will help:
http://archive.devx.com/dotnet/artic...rj020402-1.asp

Or this:
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/En...ppSettings.asp

Thus if the config file is like:

Code:

---

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
      <!-- Extra custom configuration sections -->
      <section name="monitoredPrinters"            type="PrinterMonitorService.CustomConfigurationSectionReaders.MonitoredPrintersSectionReader, PrinterMonitorService" />       
  </configSections>
     
    <monitoredPrinters>
        <!-- DeviceName = The unique name by which the printer is known
          -->
        <monitoredPrinter DeviceName="HP LaserJet 5L"/>
        <monitoredPrinter DeviceName="Microsoft Office Document Image Writer"/>
    </monitoredPrinters>
     
</configuration>

---

Then the class to read it could look like:-

VB Code:

Public NotInheritable Class MonitoredPrintersSectionReader
        Implements IConfigurationSectionHandler
 
#Region "Private constants"
        Private Const SECTION_NAME As String = "monitoredPrinters"
        Private Const ATTRIBUTE_NAME As String = "monitoredPrinter"
#End Region
 
        Shared Sub New()
            ConfigurationSettings.GetConfig(SECTION_NAME)
        End Sub
 
        Public Shared Function GetMonitoredPrintersCollection() As Collection
            Return CType(System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.GetConfig(SECTION_NAME), Collection)
        End Function
 
#Region "IConfigurationSectionHandler interface"
        Public Function Create( _
                 ByVal parent As Object, _
                 ByVal configContext As Object, _
                 ByVal section As XmlNode _
                 ) As Object Implements IConfigurationSectionHandler.Create
 
 
            Dim retVal As New Collection()
 
            If section.HasChildNodes Then
                Dim childNode As XmlNode
                For Each childNode In section.ChildNodes
                    If childNode.Name = ATTRIBUTE_NAME Then
                        retVal.Add(childNode.Attributes.ItemOf("DeviceName").Value)
                    End If
                Next
            End If
 
            Return retVal
        End Function
#End Region
 
        Private Sub New()
            '\\ make this class non creatable
        End Sub
    End Class

Hope this is useful,
Duncan