How do you use sections in c# 4.0 app.config?

Question

I want to use my app config to store the settings for 2 companys, and i'd prefer if it was possible to use a section to seperate the data for one from the other rather then giving them diffrent key names.

I have been checking online but i seem to get a bit overwhelmed when people use sections or find outdated easy ways to use them. could anyone pass me a beginner guide on them?

Below is an example of what my app.config would look like:

  <configSections>     <section name="FBI" type="" />     <section name="FSCS" type="" />   </configSections>    <FSCS>     <add key="processingDirectory" value="C:\testfiles\ProccesFolder"/>   </FSCS>   <FBI>     <add key="processingDirectory" value="C:\testfiles\ProccesFolder"/>   </FBI> 

Update:

Advanced solution based on the anwer. in case anyone wanted to know.

App.config:

<configuration>     <configSections>         <sectionGroup name="FileCheckerConfigGroup">           <section name="FBI" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler" />           <section name="FSCS" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler" />         </sectionGroup>     </configSections>     <FileCheckerConfigGroup>         <FSCS>             <add key="processingDirectory" value="C:\testfiles\ProccesFolder"/>         </FSCS>         <FBI>             <add key="processingDirectory" value="C:\testfiles\ProccesFolder"/>         </FBI>     </FileCheckerConfigGroup> </configuration> 

Code:

// Get the application configuration file.  System.Configuration.Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);  // Get the collection of the section groups.  ConfigurationSectionGroupCollection sectionGroups = config.SectionGroups;  foreach (ConfigurationSectionGroup sectionGroup in sectionGroups) {     if (sectionGroup.Name == "FileCheckerConfigGroup")     {         foreach (ConfigurationSection configurationSection in sectionGroup.Sections)         {           var section = ConfigurationManager.GetSection(configurationSection.SectionInformation.SectionName) as NameValueCollection;           inputDirectory = section["inputDirectory"]; //"C:\\testfiles";         }     } } 

Answer 1

<configSections>   <section name="FBI" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler" />   <section name="FSCS" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler" /> </configSections>  <FSCS>   <add key="processingDirectory" value="C:\testfiles\ProccesFolder"/> </FSCS> <FBI>   <add key="processingDirectory" value="C:\testfiles\ProccesFolder"/> </FBI> 

And then:

var section = ConfigurationManager.GetSection("FSCS") as NameValueCollection; var value = section["processingDirectory"];