Common.Config 1.0.6

⚙️ Common.Config

A shared configuration library for desktop apps that supports per-application settings, ClickOnce-safe storage, and default config seeding from embedded JSON.

✅ Features

✔ Per-app configuration using %AppData%
✔ Strongly typed config class support
✔ Multi-class support in a single config file
✔ Loads defaults from embedded .defaults.json
✔ Safe across ClickOnce updates
✔ Uses System.Text.Json
✔ Fully DI-compatible with generic AppSettingsService<T>

📦 Installation

Install via your internal NuGet feed:

dotnet add package Common.Config --version 1.0.x

✅ Usage in Code

1. Register Config Service in Startup

// Register multiple classes if needed:
services.AddAppSettings<RefboxConfig>("RefboxManager", key: "RefboxConfig");
services.AddAppSettings<NetworkOptions>("RefboxManager", key: "NetworkOptions");

🧠 The softwareName controls the config path at:

%AppData%\OptonMedia\<SoftwareName>\settings.json

2. Define Your Settings Models

public class RefboxConfig
{
    public string ReferenceBoxName { get; set; }
    public int RetryAttempts { get; set; }
}

public class NetworkOptions
{
    public string Hostname { get; set; }
    public int Port { get; set; }
}

3. Inject and Use Them

public class MyViewModel
{
    private readonly AppSettingsService<RefboxConfig> _refboxSettings;

    public MyViewModel(AppSettingsService<RefboxConfig> refboxSettings)
    {
        _refboxSettings = refboxSettings;
    }

    public void Update()
    {
        _refboxSettings.Settings.ReferenceBoxName = "WD999";
        _refboxSettings.Save();
    }
}

🧾 Example Embedded Default Config

File: RefboxManager.defaults.json (Build Action: Embedded Resource)

{
  "RefboxConfig": {
    "ReferenceBoxName": "WD191",
    "RetryAttempts": 3
  },
  "NetworkOptions": {
    "Hostname": "localhost",
    "Port": 8080
  }
}

📂 Config File Locations

🧠 Behavior

• On first launch:
  • If no config file exists, loads defaults from embedded .defaults.json
  • Then saves them to %AppData%
• On future launches:
  • Always reads updated values from %AppData%

✅ Good Practices

• Do not hardcode defaults in your model classes
• Do not manually modify %AppData% JSON files
• Each app must pass a unique softwareName to AddAppSettings<T>
• Always call Save() to persist changes

🚫 Limitations

• JSON comments (//, /* */) are not supported
• No built-in schema validation

📌 Example Apps

• RefboxManager
• HPWLSBurnInTest
• WeldMasterConfigTool

Each uses this shared NuGet package with its own .defaults.json and config model.

📦 Folder Structure

/Common.Config
    /IAppSettingsProvider.cs
    /JsonAppSettingsProvider.cs
    /AppSettingsService.cs
    /ConfigServiceExtensions.cs

✅ Future Features

• 🔐 Encrypted fields for secrets
• 🧪 Config validation helpers
• 💾 Backup/restore APIs