No app.config on a PPC?

Seems like there is no place in the framework for application settings on a PPC app using VS2005.

I'm about to develop my own class to handle this - writing a .ini file - yuk...

Has anyone overcome this with a better method - registry like - or something like that?

Hi,
I just use an XML file and have routines to read and write.
Format is
<BackupTo>SD Card</BackupTo>
etc.

Peter Foot (www.inthehand.com) has a library that supports app.config, plus many other facilities


Pete

Thanks - well since I have to read and write this file myself I mine as well use XML.

Are there XML classes in VS 2005? I only have two or three values to store - so I certainly can do the parsing myself.

Where do you store the .XML file?

Hi,
I store the XML file in the same folder as the program.
Code as below, used like....

Dim path as string = Get_From_Config_File("PPC_Folder")

vb Code:

Public Function Get_From_Config_File(ByVal strEle As String) As String
        Current_Position("Get_From_Config_File " & strEle)
        Dim dr As XmlTextReader
        'Dim appPath As String
        'appPath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().CodeBase)
        Dim fs As FileStream = New FileStream(Path.Combine(DataPath, "Config.xml"), FileMode.Open)
        Dim strRet As String
        dr = New XmlTextReader(fs)
        While dr.Read
            If dr.NodeType = XmlNodeType.Element And dr.Name = strEle Then
                strRet = dr.ReadElementString()
                dr.Close()
                fs.Close()
                Return strRet
            End If
        End While
        dr.Close()
        fs.Close()
 
    End Function
    Public Function Write_To_Config_File(ByVal strEle As String, ByVal strVal As String) As String
        Current_Position("Write_To_Config_File")
 
        Dim iCt As Integer
        Dim bDone As Boolean
        'Dim appPath As String
        'appPath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().CodeBase)
        Dim xd As XmlDocument = New XmlDocument
        xd.Load(Path.Combine(DataPath, "Config.xml"))
        Dim xe As XmlElement = xd.DocumentElement
        If xe.Name = "Configuration_Data" Then
            For Each xce As XmlElement In xe.ChildNodes
                If xce.ChildNodes.Count = 1 Then
                    If xce.Name = strEle Then
                        xce.FirstChild.Value = strVal
                        bDone = True
                    End If
                Else
                    For iCt = 0 To xce.ChildNodes.Count - 1
                        If xce.ChildNodes(iCt).Name = strEle Then
                            xce.ChildNodes(iCt).FirstChild.Value = strVal
                            bDone = True
                        End If
                    Next
                End If
                If bDone Then
                    Exit For
                End If
            Next
        End If
        '    write the document back to disk
        xd.Save(Path.Combine(DataPath, "Config.xml"))
 
    End Function

HTH

Pete

Hi,
sample config file is...

<Configuration_Data>

<Device>XDA</Device>
<Distance>250</Distance>
<Time>30</Time>
<AllowExit>Y</AllowExit>
</Configuration_Data>

etc etc

Pete

Thank you - thank you - so very much.

That would have taken me an hour of reading through the VS doc to find all that code!

Hi,
just realised, you will have to remove the 'current position' stuff, and work out your path, but apart from that you should be good to go

Pete

I've been using \My Documents\Business\APC as a folder - APC being the name of the APP.

Is it more appropriate to bury this in program file somewhere??

What the standard on a PPC?

Hi,
\Program Files\Company-Prod Name\
then your programs.

That is where it will go if you build a deployment package

Pete

I don't do a lot of VS work yet - but I took your sample and wrapped it up in a class and also added support for creating the CONFIG.XML file and also adding new nodes to it.

If you see any poor-VS code please comment!

vb Code:

Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml
 
Public Class Settings
 
    Private strServer As String
    Private strUserId As String
    Const Datapath = "\Program Files\APC"
 
    Public Property sServer() As String
        Get
            Return strServer
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            strServer = Write_To_Config_File("Server", value)
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Property sUserId() As String
        Get
            Return strUserId
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            strUserId = Write_To_Config_File("UserId", value)
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Sub New()
        strServer = Get_From_Config_File("Server")
        strUserId = Get_From_Config_File("UserId")
    End Sub
 
    Public Function Get_From_Config_File(ByVal strEle As String) As String
        Try
            Dim dr As XmlTextReader
            Dim fs As FileStream = New FileStream(Path.Combine(Datapath, "Config.xml"), FileMode.Open)
            Dim strRet As String
            strRet = ""
            dr = New XmlTextReader(fs)
            While dr.Read
                If dr.NodeType = XmlNodeType.Element And dr.Name = strEle Then
                    strRet = dr.ReadElementString()
                    dr.Close()
                    fs.Close()
                End If
            End While
            dr.Close()
            fs.Close()
            Return strRet
        Catch ex As FileNotFoundException
            Using sw As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(Path.Combine(Datapath, "Config.xml"))
                sw.WriteLine("<Configuration_Data>")
                sw.WriteLine("</Configuration_Data>")
                sw.Close()
            End Using
            Return ""
        Catch ex As Exception
            Return ""
        End Try
    End Function
 
    Public Function Write_To_Config_File(ByVal strEle As String, ByVal strVal As String) As String
        Write_To_Config_File = ""
        Dim iCt As Integer
        Dim bDone As Boolean
        'Dim appPath As String
        'appPath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().CodeBase)
        Dim xd As XmlDocument = New XmlDocument
        xd.Load(Path.Combine(Datapath, "Config.xml"))
        Dim xe As XmlElement = xd.DocumentElement
        If xe.Name = "Configuration_Data" Then
            For Each xce As XmlElement In xe.ChildNodes
                If xce.ChildNodes.Count = 1 Then
                    If xce.Name = strEle Then
                        xce.FirstChild.Value = strVal
                        bDone = True
                    End If
                Else
                    For iCt = 0 To xce.ChildNodes.Count - 1
                        If xce.ChildNodes(iCt).Name = strEle Then
                            xce.ChildNodes(iCt).FirstChild.Value = strVal
                            bDone = True
                        End If
                    Next
                End If
                If bDone Then
                    Exit For
                End If
            Next
            If Not bDone Then
                Dim elem As XmlElement = xd.CreateElement(strEle)
                elem.InnerText = strVal
                xe.AppendChild(elem)
            End If
        End If
        '    write the document back to disk
        xd.Save(Path.Combine(Datapath, "Config.xml"))
        Write_To_Config_File = strVal
    End Function
End Class