C# Language Generics Configuration reader with generic type casting
Example
/// <summary>
/// Read configuration values from app.config and convert to specified types
/// </summary>
public static class ConfigurationReader
{
/// <summary>
/// Get value from AppSettings by key, convert to Type of default value or typeparam T and return
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">typeparam is the type in which value will be returned, it could be any type eg. int, string, bool, decimal etc.</typeparam>
/// <param name="strKey">key to find value from AppSettings</param>
/// <param name="defaultValue">defaultValue will be returned in case of value is null or any exception occures</param>
/// <returns>AppSettings value against key is returned in Type of default value or given as typeparam T</returns>
public static T GetConfigKeyValue<T>(string strKey, T defaultValue)
{
var result = defaultValue;
try
{
if (ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[strKey] != null)
result = (T)Convert.ChangeType(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[strKey], typeof(T));
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Tracer.Current.LogException(ex);
}
return result;
}
/// <summary>
/// Get value from AppSettings by key, convert to Type of default value or typeparam T and return
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">typeparam is the type in which value will be returned, it could be any type eg. int, string, bool, decimal etc.</typeparam>
/// <param name="strKey">key to find value from AppSettings</param>
/// <returns>AppSettings value against key is returned in Type given as typeparam T</returns>
public static T GetConfigKeyValue<T>(string strKey)
{
return GetConfigKeyValue(strKey, default(T));
}
}
Usages:
var timeOut = ConfigurationReader.GetConfigKeyValue("RequestTimeout", 2000);
var url = ConfigurationReader.GetConfigKeyValue("URL", "www.someurl.com");
var enabled = ConfigurationReader.GetConfigKeyValue("IsEnabled", false);
