Equivalent to 'app.config' for a library (

Question

Is there an equivalent to app.config for libraries (DLLs)? If not, what is the easiest way to store configuration settings that are specific to a library? Please consider that the library might be used in different applications.

Answer 1

In response to the original question, I typically add the config file in my test project as a link; you can then use the DeploymentItem attribute to addit to the Out folder of the test run.

[TestClass]
[DeploymentItem("MyProject.Cache.dll.config")]
public class CacheTest
{
    .
    .
    .
    .
}

In response to the comments that Assemblies can't be project specific, they can and it provides great flexibility esp. when working with IOC frameworks.

Answer 2

I faced the same problem and resolved it by creating a static class Parameters after adding an Application Configuration File to the project:

public static class Parameters
{
    // For a Web Application
    public static string PathConfig { get; private set; } =
        Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "web.config");

    // For a Class Library
    public static string PathConfig { get; private set; } =
        Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "bin", "LibraryName.dll.config");

    public static string getParameter(string paramName)
    {
        string paramValue = string.Empty;

        using (Stream stream = File.OpenRead(PathConfig))
        {
            XDocument xdoc = XDocument.Load(stream);

            XElement element = xdoc.Element("configuration").Element("appSettings").Elements().First(a => a.Attribute("key").Value == paramName);
            paramValue = element.Attribute("value").Value;
        }

        return paramValue;
    }
}

Then get a parameter like this:

Parameters.getParameter("keyName");