ConfigurationManager.GetSection(String) Method

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

Returns

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

Exceptions

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.

Applies to

See also

• ConfigurationSection