How to encrypt section in app.config file

[arznrchrd]

How would one encrypt a section in an app.config file. Have looked around..there is really no good example out there that I have found.

 

[SBendBuckeye]

Hello,

Sorry, just noticed you were a technical user. Maybe you can pass this off to a developer who can help you with it.

There is a way to put custom sections in an App.config file and then react to them within your code. We did this once a while ago but it never got past the testing stage. Here is a sample custom App.config file along with some sample code which will maybe at least point you.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
<configuration>
  <!-- *********************************************************************************************************-->
  <!-- * NOTE: Only one ConfigSections may be defined and it must be first or a ConfigurationException occurs. *-->
  <!-- *********************************************************************************************************-->
  <configSections>
    <!-- ******************************************************************************************-->
    <!-- * NOTE: The following CustomData and CustomOptions are required by Custom processing and *-->
    <!-- *       may not be changed as code within project YourAssemblyName is dependent upon it. *-->
    <!-- ******************************************************************************************-->
    <sectionGroup name="CustomData">
      <!-- ************************************************************************************************************-->
      <!-- * NOTE: Anything customized below is CASE SENSITVE including anywhere it is referenced in code.	      *-->
      <!-- *												              *-->
      <!-- * NOTE: The Type contains 2 parts. Part 1 is the fully qualified custom section handler, consisting        *-->
      <!-- *		 of the following concatenated components: RootNamespaceIfAny.ClassNamespaceIfAny.ClassName   *-->
      <!-- *		 (eg YourNameSpace.Tools.CustomSections.AppConfig.CustomHandler where YourNameSpace.Tools is  *-->
      <!-- *		 the RootNamespace, CustomSections.AppConfig is a Class Namespace and CustomHandler is the    *-->
      <!-- *		 Classname). Part 2 is the AssemblyName with no qualification.			 	      *-->
      <!-- ************************************************************************************************************-->
      <section name="CustomOptions" type="YourNameSpace.Tools.CustomConfigurationSections.CustomSectionsHandler, 
               YourAssemblyName" />
    </sectionGroup>
  </configSections>
    <CustomData>
      <CustomOptions>
        <Property1>TriState.UseDefault</Property1>
        <Property2>Development</Property2>
      </CustomOptions>
    </CustomData>
    <appSettings>
    </appSettings>
</configuration>

In the sample App.config file above, note the following:

A. Every thing here and in your code is CASE SENSITIVE

B. <CustomData> corresponds to the sectionGroup name defined above

C. <CustomOptions> corresponds to the section name defined above

D. You need a Class named CustomSectionsHandler that corresponds to the fully qualified type in the CustomOptions section above - It must implement IConfigurationSectionHandler - this is where the CustomOptions class is created

Namespace CustomConfigurationSections

    ' NOTE: Everything pertaining to customizing App.Config files is CASE SENSITIVE.

#Region " << CustomSectionsHandler Class >> "

    Public Class CustomSectionsHandler
        Implements IConfigurationSectionHandler

        Private m_CustomOptions As CustomOptions = Nothing

        Public Sub New()
            MyBase.New()
            m_CustomOptions = New CustomOptions
        End Sub 'New

        Friend Function GetCustomOptions() As CustomOptions
            If m_CustomOptions Is Nothing Then m_CustomOptions = New CustomOptions
            Return m_CustomOptions
        End Function 'GetCustomOptions

        Public Function Create(ByVal parent As Object, _
                               ByVal configContext As Object, _
                               ByVal section As System.Xml.XmlNode) As Object Implements IConfigurationSectionHandler.Create
            m_CustomOptions = New CustomOptions
            With m_CustomOptions
                .Property1 = section.SelectSingleNode("Property1").InnerText
                .Property2 = section.SelectSingleNode("Property2").InnerText
            End With
            Return m_CustomOptions
        End Function 'Create

    End Class 'CustomSectionsHandler

#End Region

End Namespace 'CustomConfigurationSections

E. You need a Class named CustomOptions in your VB.Net project that exposes Properties that correspond to Property1 and Property2 above

Public Class CustomOptions

    Private m_Owner As j2aUniversalConfig = Nothing

    Private m_OwnerProject As EnvDTE.Project = Nothing

    Public Sub New()
    End Sub 'New

    ' Required for App.config customization.
    Public Sub New(ByVal info As SerializationInfo, _
                   ByVal context As StreamingContext)
    End Sub 'New

    Public Overloads Overrides Function ToString() As String
        Return String.Empty
    End Function 'ToString

    Public Overloads Function ToString(ByVal text As String) As String
        If text Is Nothing Then text = String.Empty
        If text.Trim.Length > 0 Then text = [String].Format("InputParm: '{0}'{1}{2}", text, vbNewLine, vbNewLine)
        Return text & "Property1: " & m_Property1.ToString & vbNewLine & "Property2: " & m_Property2.ToString
    End Function 'ToString

    Private m_Property1 As TriState = TriState.UseDefault
    Public Property Property1() As TriState
        Get
            Return m_Property1
        End Get
        Set(ByVal Value As TriState)
            m_Property1 = Value
            ' Note: Case Sensitive - must match key in App.config file.
            UpdateAppConfigFileNode("Property1", Value)
        End Set
    End Property 'Property1

    Private m_Property2 As String = String.Empty
    Public Property Property2() As String
        Get
            Return m_Property2
        End Get
        Set(ByVal Value As String)
            If Value Is Nothing Then Value = String.Empty
            m_Property2 = Value
            ' Note: Case Sensitive - must match key in App.config file.
            UpdateAppConfigFileNode("Property2", Value)
        End Set
    End Property 'Property2

    Private Sub UpdateAppConfigFileNode(ByVal nodeName As String, _
                                        ByVal value As Object)
        Try
            Dim yourPath As String = YourAppConfigFileNameAndPath
            Dim xmlDocument As New Xml.XmlDocument
            xmlDocument.Load(yourPath)
            Dim xmlNode As Xml.XmlNode = xmlDocument.DocumentElement.SelectSingleNode("//" & nodeName)
            If Not xmlNode Is Nothing Then
                Dim oldValue As String = xmlNode.InnerText
                ' Only save changes if values differ.
                If oldValue.Trim.ToLower <> value.ToString.Trim.ToLower Then
                    xmlNode.InnerText = value.ToString
                    xmlDocument.Save(yourPath)
                End If
            End If
            xmlDocument = Nothing
        Catch ex As Exception
            Throw
        End Try
    End Sub 'UpdateAppConfigFileNode

End Class 'CustomOptions

F. In your main class this line activates your custom App.Config stuff - This code was very finicky and I had to play around with it quite a bit to make it work

Dim myCustomOptions As CustomOptions = _
(CType(System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.GetConfig("CustomData/CustomOptions"), CustomOptions))

Even though we didn't use encryption I'm guessing that you could include it in the property Get/Set logic in CustomOptions. Good Luck!

 

[arznrchrd]

For some reason my bio on here says technical user, although I program. Not sure on how to change it. Anyhow, I figured it out. You can use DPAPI or RSA providers, which come with .net 2.0. I applied the encryption to the appSettings section and it works fine. Thanks.