Reading dll.config (not app.config!) from a plugin module

Question

I am writing a C# .NET 2.0 .dll that is a plug in to a Larger application. The visual studio project for my module has a app.config file which is copied to a MyProj.dll.config along side of MyProj.dll. The plan is that MyProj.dll.config will be edited after the .dll is deployed. I am trying to read my settings from that modified local file. I have tried pulling out the LocalFilesSettingsObject and changing it's application name to my .dll like this: ``` Properties.Settings config = Properties.Settings.Default; SettingsContext context = config.Context; SettingsPropertyCollection properties = config.Properties; SettingsProviderCollection providers = config.Providers; SettingsProvider configFile = Properties.Settings.Default.Providers["LocalFileSettingsProvider"]; configFile.ApplicationName = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Name; config.Initialize(context, properties, providers); config.Reload(); ``` That is not working. I am struggling to wrap my head around the whole .NET Set…

Accepted Answer

You will need to load the `x.dll.config` (with the Configuration API) yourself. All the automatic file handling (including the `.Settings`) is all about machine.config/y.exe.config/user-settings.

To open a named config file:

- Reference `System.Configuration.dll` assembly.

- Using `System.Configuration`

Create code like:

```
Configuration GetDllConfiguration(Assembly targetAsm) {
  var configFile = targetAsm.Location + ".config";
  var map = new ExeConfigurationFileMap {
    ExeConfigFilename = configFile
  };
  return ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(map, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
}
```

Reading dll.config (not app.config!) from a plugin module

Solution

Problem