ConfigurationManager.GetSection(String) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Configuration

Assembly:

System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.dll

Package:

System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager v8.0.0

Source:

ConfigurationManager.cs

Retrieves a specified configuration section for the current application's default configuration.

public:
 static System::Object ^ GetSection(System::String ^ sectionName);

public static object GetSection (string sectionName);

static member GetSection : string -> obj

Public Shared Function GetSection (sectionName As String) As Object

Parameters

sectionName

String

The configuration section path and name. Node names are separated by forward slashes, for example "system.net/mailSettings/smtp".

Returns

Object

The specified ConfigurationSection object, or null if the section does not exist.

Exceptions

ConfigurationErrorsException

A configuration file could not be loaded.

Examples

The following example shows how to use the GetSection method. The example is part of a larger example that is provided for the ConfigurationManager class.

// Create the AppSettings section.
// The function uses the GetSection(string)method 
// to access the configuration section. 
// It also adds a new element to the section collection.
public static void CreateAppSettings()
{
  // Get the application configuration file.
  System.Configuration.Configuration config =
    ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(
          ConfigurationUserLevel.None);

  string sectionName = "appSettings";

  // Add an entry to appSettings.
  int appStgCnt =
      ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Count;
  string newKey = "NewKey" + appStgCnt.ToString();

  string newValue = DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString() + 
    " " + DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString();

  config.AppSettings.Settings.Add(newKey, newValue);

  // Save the configuration file.
  config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);
  
  // Force a reload of the changed section. This 
  // makes the new values available for reading.
  ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection(sectionName);

  // Get the AppSettings section.
  AppSettingsSection appSettingSection =
    (AppSettingsSection)config.GetSection(sectionName);

  Console.WriteLine();
  Console.WriteLine("Using GetSection(string).");
  Console.WriteLine("AppSettings section:");
  Console.WriteLine(
    appSettingSection.SectionInformation.GetRawXml());
}

' Create the AppSettings section.
' The function uses the GetSection(string)method 
' to access the configuration section. 
' It also adds a new element to the section collection.
Public Shared Sub CreateAppSettings()
    ' Get the application configuration file.
    Dim config As System.Configuration.Configuration = _
    ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration( _
        ConfigurationUserLevel.None)

    Dim sectionName As String = "appSettings"

    ' Add an entry to appSettings.
    Dim appStgCnt As Integer = _
        ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Count
    Dim newKey As String = _
        "NewKey" + appStgCnt.ToString()

    Dim newValue As String = _
        DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString() + " " + _
        DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString()

    config.AppSettings.Settings.Add(newKey, _
                                    newValue)

    ' Save the configuration file.
    config.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified)

    ' Force a reload of the changed section. This 
    ' makes the new values available for reading.
    ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection(sectionName)

    ' Get the AppSettings section.
    Dim appSettingSection As AppSettingsSection = _
        DirectCast(config.GetSection(sectionName),  _
        AppSettingsSection)

    Console.WriteLine()
    Console.WriteLine( _
        "Using GetSection(string).")
    Console.WriteLine( _
        "AppSettings section:")
    Console.WriteLine( _
        appSettingSection.SectionInformation.GetRawXml())
End Sub

Remarks

For client applications, this method retrieves a configuration file obtained by merging the application configuration file, the local user configuration file, and the roaming configuration file.

The GetSection method accesses run-time configuration information that it cannot change. To change the configuration, you use the GetSection method on the configuration file that you obtain by using one of the following methods:

• OpenExeConfiguration

• OpenMachineConfiguration

• OpenMappedExeConfiguration

Notes to Inheritors

You must cast the return value to the expected configuration type. To avoid possible casting exceptions, you should use a conditional casting operation such as the as operator in C# or the TryCast function in Visual Basic.

See also

• ConfigurationSection