RegistryKey.GetValueKind(String) Method

Definition

Namespace:

Microsoft.Win32

Assembly:

Microsoft.Win32.Registry.dll

Retrieves the registry data type of the value associated with the specified name.

public:
 Microsoft::Win32::RegistryValueKind GetValueKind(System::String ^ name);

public Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueKind GetValueKind (string? name);

member this.GetValueKind : string -> Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueKind

Public Function GetValueKind (name As String) As RegistryValueKind

Parameters

name

String

The name of the value whose registry data type is to be retrieved. This string is not case-sensitive.

Returns

RegistryValueKind

The registry data type of the value associated with name.

Exceptions

SecurityException

The user does not have the permissions required to read from the registry key.

ObjectDisposedException

The RegistryKey that contains the specified value is closed (closed keys cannot be accessed).

IOException

The subkey that contains the specified value does not exist.

-or-

The name/value pair specified by name does not exist.

UnauthorizedAccessException

The user does not have the necessary registry rights.

Examples

The following code example creates a test key and adds values of different data types to the key. The example then reads the name/value pairs and displays them to the console, using the GetValueKind method to retrieve the corresponding registry data types.

using namespace System;
using namespace Microsoft::Win32;
int main()
{
   
   // Delete and recreate the test key.
   Registry::CurrentUser->DeleteSubKey( "RegistryValueKindExample", false );
   RegistryKey ^ rk = Registry::CurrentUser->CreateSubKey( "RegistryValueKindExample" );
   
   // Create name/value pairs.
   // This overload supports QWord (long) values. 
   rk->SetValue( "QuadWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind::QWord );
   
   // The following SetValue calls have the same effect as using the
   // SetValue overload that does not specify RegistryValueKind.
   //
   rk->SetValue( "DWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind::DWord );
   rk->SetValue( "MultipleStringValue", gcnew array<String^>{
      "One","Two","Three"
   }, RegistryValueKind::MultiString );
   rk->SetValue( "BinaryValue", gcnew array<Byte>{
      10,43,44,45,14,255
   }, RegistryValueKind::Binary );
   rk->SetValue( "StringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind::String );
   
   // This overload supports setting expandable string values. Compare
   // the output from this value with the previous string value.
   rk->SetValue( "ExpandedStringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind::ExpandString );
   
   // Display all the name/value pairs stored in the test key, with the
   // registry data type in parentheses.
   //
   array<String^>^valueNames = rk->GetValueNames();
   System::Collections::IEnumerator^ myEnum = valueNames->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnum->MoveNext() )
   {
      String^ s = safe_cast<String^>(myEnum->Current);
      RegistryValueKind rvk = rk->GetValueKind( s );
      switch ( rvk )
      {
         case RegistryValueKind::MultiString:
         {
            array<String^>^values = (array<String^>^)rk->GetValue( s );
            Console::Write( "\r\n {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk );
            for ( int i = 0; i < values->Length; i++ )
            {
               if (i != 0) Console::Write(",");
               Console::Write( " \"{0}\"", values[ i ] );

            }
            Console::WriteLine();
            break;
         }
         case RegistryValueKind::Binary:
         {
            array<Byte>^bytes = (array<Byte>^)rk->GetValue( s );
            Console::Write( "\r\n {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk );
            for ( int i = 0; i < bytes->Length; i++ )
            {
               
               // Display each byte as two hexadecimal digits.
               Console::Write( " {0:X2}", bytes[ i ] );

            }
            Console::WriteLine();
            break;
         }
         default:
            Console::WriteLine( "\r\n {0} ({1}) = {2}", s, rvk, rk->GetValue( s ) );
            break;
      }
   }
}
/*

This code example produces the following output:
 QuadWordValue (QWord) = 42

 DWordValue (DWord) = 42

 MultipleStringValue (MultiString) =, "One", "Two", "Three"

 BinaryValue (Binary) = 0A 2B 2C 2D 0E FF

 StringValue (String) = The path is %PATH%

 ExpandedStringValue (ExpandString) = The path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v2.0\Bin;
 [***The remainder of this output is omitted.***]

*/

using System;
using Microsoft.Win32;

public class Example
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Delete and recreate the test key.
        Registry.CurrentUser.DeleteSubKey("RegistryValueKindExample", false);
        RegistryKey rk = Registry.CurrentUser.CreateSubKey("RegistryValueKindExample");

        // Create name/value pairs.

        // This overload supports QWord (long) values.
        rk.SetValue("QuadWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind.QWord);

        // The following SetValue calls have the same effect as using the
        // SetValue overload that does not specify RegistryValueKind.
        //
        rk.SetValue("DWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
        rk.SetValue("MultipleStringValue", new string[] {"One", "Two", "Three"}, RegistryValueKind.MultiString);
        rk.SetValue("BinaryValue", new byte[] {10, 43, 44, 45, 14, 255}, RegistryValueKind.Binary);
        rk.SetValue("StringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind.String);

        // This overload supports setting expandable string values. Compare
        // the output from this value with the previous string value.
        rk.SetValue("ExpandedStringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind.ExpandString);

        // Display all name/value pairs stored in the test key, with each
        // registry data type in parentheses.
        //
        string[] valueNames = rk.GetValueNames();
        foreach (string s in valueNames)
        {
            RegistryValueKind rvk = rk.GetValueKind(s);
            switch (rvk)
            {
                case RegistryValueKind.MultiString :
                    string[] values = (string[]) rk.GetValue(s);
                    Console.Write("\r\n {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk);
                    for (int i = 0; i < values.Length; i++)
                    {
                        if (i != 0) Console.Write(",");
                        Console.Write(" \"{0}\"", values[i]);
                    }
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    break;

                case RegistryValueKind.Binary :
                    byte[] bytes = (byte[]) rk.GetValue(s);
                    Console.Write("\r\n {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk);
                    for (int i = 0; i < bytes.Length; i++)
                    {
                        // Display each byte as two hexadecimal digits.
                        Console.Write(" {0:X2}", bytes[i]);
                    }
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    break;

                default :
                    Console.WriteLine("\r\n {0} ({1}) = {2}", s, rvk, rk.GetValue(s));
                    break;
            }
        }
    }
}
/*

This code example produces the following output:
 QuadWordValue (QWord) = 42

 DWordValue (DWord) = 42

 MultipleStringValue (MultiString) =, "One", "Two", "Three"

 BinaryValue (Binary) = 0A 2B 2C 2D 0E FF

 StringValue (String) = The path is %PATH%

 ExpandedStringValue (ExpandString) = The path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v2.0\Bin;
 [***The remainder of this output is omitted.***]

*/

Imports Microsoft.Win32

Public Class Example
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        ' Delete and recreate the test key.
        Registry.CurrentUser.DeleteSubKey("RegistryValueKindExample", False)
        Dim rk As RegistryKey = Registry.CurrentUser.CreateSubKey("RegistryValueKindExample")
        
        ' Create name/value pairs.
        ' This overload supports QWord (long) values. 
        rk.SetValue("QuadWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind.QWord)
        
        ' The following SetValue calls have the same effect as using the
        ' SetValue overload that does not specify RegistryValueKind.
        '
        rk.SetValue("DWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind.DWord)
        rk.SetValue("MultipleStringValue", New String() {"One", "Two", "Three"}, RegistryValueKind.MultiString)
        rk.SetValue("BinaryValue", New Byte() {10, 43, 44, 45, 14, 255}, RegistryValueKind.Binary)
        rk.SetValue("StringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind.String) 
        
        ' This overload supports setting expandable string values. Compare
        ' the output from this value with the previous string value.
        rk.SetValue("ExpandedStringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind.ExpandString)
        
        
        ' Display all name/value pairs stored in the test key, with each
        ' registry data type in parentheses.
        '
        Dim valueNames As String() = rk.GetValueNames()
        Dim s As String
        For Each s In  valueNames
            Dim rvk As RegistryValueKind = rk.GetValueKind(s)
            Select Case rvk
                Case RegistryValueKind.MultiString
                    Dim values As String() = CType(rk.GetValue(s), String())
                    Console.Write(vbCrLf & " {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk)
                    For i As Integer = 0 To values.Length - 1
                        If i <> 0 Then Console.Write(",")
                        Console.Write(" ""{0}""", values(i))
                    Next i
                    Console.WriteLine()
                
                Case RegistryValueKind.Binary
                    Dim bytes As Byte() = CType(rk.GetValue(s), Byte())
                    Console.Write(vbCrLf & " {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk)
                    For i As Integer = 0 To bytes.Length - 1
                        ' Display each byte as two hexadecimal digits.
                        Console.Write(" {0:X2}", bytes(i))
                    Next i
                    Console.WriteLine()
                
                Case Else
                    Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & " {0} ({1}) = {2}", s, rvk, rk.GetValue(s))
            End Select
        Next s
    End Sub
End Class

'
'This code example produces the following output (some output is omitted):
'
' QuadWordValue (QWord) = 42
'
' DWordValue (DWord) = 42
'
' MultipleStringValue (MultiString) = "One", "Two", "Three"
'
' BinaryValue (Binary) = 0A 2B 2C 2D 0E FF
'
' StringValue (String) = The path is %PATH%
'
' ExpandedStringValue (ExpandString) = The path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v2.0\Bin;
' [***The remainder of this output is omitted.***]

Remarks

Note

A registry key can have one value that is not associated with any name. When this unnamed value is displayed in the registry editor, the string "(Default)" appears instead of a name. To retrieve the registry data type of this unnamed value, specify either null or the empty string ("") for name.

For a description of supported registry data types, please see the RegistryValueKind enumeration.

See also

• GetValueNames()
• GetValue(String)
• SetValue(String, Object)
• RegistryValueKind