Edit App.config with no need to rebuild the app

[EwS]

I have a Windows Service that reads the settings from the App.config file. If I need to make a change to one of the settings, I have to rebuild the app and reinstall the service. Is it possible to have this App.config file sitting in some directory and let the service know where it is so the values can be read this way? So I would just have to restart the service. Thank you.

 

[dseaver]

What about using a settings file? You can alter that without having to recompile the program

 

[EwS]

App.config has a specific format. What format would this settings file have? Are you talking about .inf file?

 

[EwS]

or rather .ini file?

 

[dseaver]

Right Click on your project and add a new file, and choose Settings File. It actually adds information to the app.config file, but I know that you can change it and access it without rebuilding the solution

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa730869(vs.80).aspx

 

[EwS]

Oh, I used it before, I just didn't realize I can change the settings values this way.

I'm not sure about the location of this Settings file though. My Windows Service gets installed under C:\windows\system32. But I would like the settigns file to reside in a specific folder. How do I do let the service know to look in that folder? Do I have to create an installer for my Windows service that lets you specify the installation path (right now I'm installing the service through the command prompt using installutil - can I specify the path there)?

 

[dseaver]

I'm pretty sure that the user.config file (the result of using the settings file) gets save under your Application Data directory, but I'm not positive. I haven't looked into where it is stored.

 

[EwS]

Ok, but must the file reside under your installation directory (=where you installed your Windows service) or can you point the service to look for the settings file in another location?