How may I store a file path in my program's app.config file?

Question

I have written a C# program for saving and reading PDF files. The program saves the output files to the local computer's bin folder. I want my program to access files from a different computer.

I have heard about keeping a file path stored in the app.config of my program, but I don't know how to do this.

How may I store a file path in my program's app.config file?

Answer 1

You can store the file path in an app.config file by using this format:

<configuration>
 <appSettings>
  <add key="Path" value="\\ComputerName\ShareName"/>
 </appSettings>
</configuration>

You can then read the app settings stored there using the ConfigurationManager class. You'll have to add a reference to System.Configuration in your project, and reference it in the code.

After that, your path can be read by accessing ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Path"] - it will be a string.

Answer 2

I'm a complete noob but I recently had the same issue so here is what I came up with.

The solution is three separate steps:

1. As stated in the answer above, you add a key value to app.config that points to your path:

    <configuration>
      <appSettings>
        <add key="Path" value="C:\text.txt"/>
      </appSettings>
    </configuration>
   

2. You need the using statement:

   using System.Configuration;
   

Besides these two, you also need a reference to the assembly.

3. Right click on References in Solution Explorer.
4. Click Add Reference.
5. Click on Assemblies and type Configuration in the search box.
6. Put a check mark on System.Configuration.

The message

ConfigurationManager does not exist in the current context.

should be gone and you have your file path!