Unable to read Web.config appSettings using WebConfigurationManager

Question

I have some application settings in my Web.config file, for sending email from within the system. The relevant part reads:

<configuration>
...
  <appSettings>
    <add key="webpages:Enabled" value="false" />
    <add key="emailRecipient" value="my email"/>
    <add key="emailSubject" value="subject"/>
        (other settings for contacting the mail server)
  </appSettings>
...
</configuration>

And in my repository, I use it like so:

using System.Web.Configuration;

MailModel email = new MailModel();
email.EmailTo = WebConfigurationManager.AppSettings["emailRecipient"];
email.Subject = WebConfigurationManager.AppSettings["emailSubject"];

Plus other lines to get the settings to contact the mail server.

The problem I'm having is that in the debugger, WCM.AppSettings contains 5 values:

WebConfigurationManager.AppSettings.AllKeys
{string[5]}
    [0]: "webpages:Version"
    [1]: "webpages:Enabled"
    [2]: "PreserveLoginUrl"
    [3]: "ClientValidationEnabled"
    [4]: "UnobtrusiveJavaScriptEnabled"

What happened to my email config settings?

I checked with two other Stack Overflow questions to make sure I didn't make any obvious mistakes. (How to read appSettings section in the web.config file? and Can't read appSettings value from Web.Config) So the problem is not obvious.

Edited to add:

I found my problem, and it's a bit embarrassing. I had put the settings into ~/Views/Web.config instead of ~/Web.config. Once I fixed that, the settings worked properly. Mods, please close.

So it has keys in the debugger but doesn't have values? Personally, I sue `ConfigurationManager` everywhere and it works all the time — Vsevolod Goloviznin, Dec 19 '14 at 20:39
The debugger has the keys I listed, and the appropriate values for those. It doesn't have my email keys. — Codes with Hammer, Dec 19 '14 at 20:48
Can you try `ConfigurationManager` and see if it works fine? — Vsevolod Goloviznin, Dec 19 '14 at 20:53
Are you sure that your properties are not overridden somehow in web config transformations files? — Vsevolod Goloviznin, Dec 19 '14 at 21:27
I'm sure, as I haven't entered the properties anywhere else. But it would be good to confirm. Where would I find a web.config transformation file? I didn't create any on my own. — Codes with Hammer, Dec 19 '14 at 21:33
It's usually called Web.Debug.config and Web.Release.config and lie near the actual Web.config. You can also check that the web.config that's copied into `bin` folder contains the values your want — Vsevolod Goloviznin, Dec 19 '14 at 21:41
There's nothing set in `Web.config.debug`, and only a `` tag set in `Web.config.release`. There's no `Web.config` in my project `bin` directory. — Codes with Hammer, Dec 19 '14 at 21:46
In your `bin` folder there will be a `YourPRojectName.dll.config` file — Vsevolod Goloviznin, Dec 19 '14 at 21:49
There's only a `` block in it, and none of the email config settings. So they're not getting copied in. Why not? (That'll have to wait to after the weekend.) — Codes with Hammer, Dec 19 '14 at 21:57
That's strange, can you check if the build action for web.config file is `Content` and copying is set to `Do not copy` in the file properties? — Vsevolod Goloviznin, Dec 19 '14 at 21:59
That's what they are set to. I presume those are the defaults. — Codes with Hammer, Dec 22 '14 at 14:16
**FACEPALM** I just found I had my email settings in `~/Views/Web.config` instead of `~/Web.config`. Ow. Now the settings are propagated to `~/bin/Project.dll.config` and show up properly in the debugger. — Codes with Hammer, Dec 22 '14 at 16:24
Lol! Good to hear that you've found the root of the problem! — Vsevolod Goloviznin, Dec 22 '14 at 16:26

Unable to read Web.config appSettings using WebConfigurationManager

0 Answers0