Best way to store configuration settings outside of web.config

Question

I'm starting to consider creating a class library that I want to make generic so others can use it. While planning it out, I came to thinking about the various configuration settings that I would need. Since the idea is to make it open/shared, I wanted to make things as easy on the end user as possible. What's the best way to setup configuration settings without making use of web.config/app.config?

Answer 1

Why are you rejecting the use of web.config/app.config? That's what they're for, and that's totally the way I'd do it.

Put an example block of code for the web.config/app.config in your documantation that could be copy-and-pasted into the real config file. If documented well, it shouldn't really be a problem for your users.

Just be sure you don't crash because the settings don't exist. Or, if you do crash, give a detailed error message telling the user to edit the proper config file and where in the documentation they can find examples. That would make it easier on your user.

Answer 2

I think it's not wrong to use the web.config for storing you configuration items. But you could be more flexible offering 3 configuration options as many popular libraries do (nhibernate, log4net, etc)

• Use Web.config
• Use a external xml file
• Configure library programatically

Doing it like this you leave the decision on your library users instead of supposing they won't be happy using the web.config.