How to configure multiple modules using .net configuration files

Question

I have a few .net modules/libraries I am referencing from my main application. Each of the modules/libraries can be configured and after I build them they each have a configuration file such as MyModule1.dll.config, MyModule2.dll.config.

When I build my main application an app.config file is outputted to the output directory.

I am wondering how to configure MyModule1, MyModule2 etc. Should I include config sections for each in the app.config file or should I have a separate config file for each module where I load a config file for each one? The separate config per module is described here: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/netfxbcl/thread/2710647c-6414-42c4-90b7-fd7603f55ae0/? This would mean that I would copy MyModule1.dll.config and MyModule2.dll.config to the output directory as well.

Can anyone give me some advice on what is the best practice/proper way to do this?

Edit:

From MyModule1.dll I can explicitly load MyModule1.dll.config using

Uri p = new Uri(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().CodeBase);
Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(p.LocalPath);

but if MyModule1.dll references and uses one of my common libraries MyCommonLib.dll how can I have MyCommonLib.dll be configured from the same config file MyModule1.dll.config?

Answer 1

If you are using the Properties folder system in Visual Studio, and want Visual Studio to sync them automatically, you will want to use the config-per-module approach you have described simply for productivity.

Alternatively, if you are just dealing with or entries, it may be easier from one config file. My only advice here is to go with whatever is easiest and the most natural way for whoever else is/will be working on the project.

Answer 2

Without knowing exactly what configuration you have, I'd say you should merge the the config files into the main exe config. This way you don't need any extra code to get things working. This is how most .NET applications work, and is what most people will expect. (Look at a web.config -- sections from all over the place end up in there.)

If you're using the strongly-typed settings in Properties that Visual Studio offers, this will work fine. You simply merge the configSections and copy the specific parts from each config file over to the main one. We've done this for a while and it's worked out just fine.

Answer 3

Have you considered using Spring.NET to manage your configuration? Of course you get a ton of other features, too, but configuration is a great place to start with Spring.

You can put some configuration in local files with each library, and then reference those files in the main application's configuration file. People who use your libraries can decide whether they want to reference your config files, write their own, or something in between.

Answer 4

I would suggest that you go with the exe.config if you don't have to manage too much configuration information.

Or you can consider using a configuration management framework like those included with Microsoft Enterprise Library or Spring.net

Answer 5

It all depends upon how separate your libraries are from your application.

If you deploy the same libraries to multiple applications, it may be a better idea to keep the configurations separate.

If it's just the one application, use one configuration file. Then all your configuration is in one place.