TinyConfig 1.2.0

TinyConfig

The simplest way to manage configuration in .NET. One unified interface for INI, JSON, XML, and Windows Registry.

Install

PM> Install-Package TinyConfig

Or via .NET CLI:

dotnet add package TinyConfig

Quick Start

using TinyConfig;

// Pick any backend — the API is the same
var config = Config.FromFile("settings.ini");   // INI
var config = Config.FromJson("settings.json");  // JSON
var config = Config.FromXml("settings.xml");    // XML
var config = Config.FromRegistry(@"SOFTWARE\MyApp"); // Registry

API

All providers implement ITinyConfig:

// Read a value (returns default if not found)
string host = config.Get("Server", "Host", "localhost");

// Read with automatic type conversion
int port = config.Get<int>("Server", "Port", 8080);
bool debug = config.Get<bool>("App", "Debug", false);

// Auto-save: writes the default value if the key doesn't exist
string theme = config.Get("UI", "Theme", "dark", autoSave: true);

// Write a value
config.Set("Server", "Host", "192.168.0.1");

// Check if a key exists
bool exists = config.Exists("Server", "Host");

// Try to read - false when the key is missing, empty, or the text does not fit T
if (config.TryGet("Shutdown", "Everyday", out DateTime shutdown))
{
    // shutdown holds a converted value
}

Providers

INI

var config = Config.FromFile("settings.ini");
config.Set("Server", "Host", "localhost");

[Server]
Host=localhost

Writing leaves the rest of the file alone. Comments, blank lines, key order and the spacing around = stay as they were, and only the line being changed is rewritten. A new key is added inside its section, above any trailing comment.

INI files carry no encoding declaration. A file written by the Windows WritePrivateProfileString API is in the system ANSI code page, so pass the encoding explicitly instead of relying on the UTF-8 default:

// .NET Core and later need the code page provider registered once
Encoding.RegisterProvider(CodePagesEncodingProvider.Instance);

var config = Config.FromFile("cfg.ini", Encoding.GetEncoding(949));

JSON

Not available on the net461 build.

var config = Config.FromJson("settings.json");
config.Set("Database", "Port", 5432);

{
  "Database": {
    "Port": "5432"
  }
}

XML

var config = Config.FromXml("settings.xml");
config.Set("Logging", "Level", "Info");

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Config>
  <Logging>
    <Level>Info</Level>
  </Logging>
</Config>

Windows Registry

// Default: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
var config = Config.FromRegistry(@"SOFTWARE\MyApp");

// Use a different root hive
var config = Config.FromRegistry(@"SOFTWARE\MyApp", RegistryRoot.LocalMachine);

Available RegistryRoot values: CurrentUser (default), LocalMachine, ClassesRoot, Users, CurrentConfig

Type Conversion

Get<T> converts string values using TypeDescriptor. Supports int, bool, double, float, DateTime, enum, TimeSpan, and any type with a registered TypeConverter.

var timeout = config.Get<TimeSpan>("App", "Timeout", TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30));
var mode = config.Get<MyEnum>("App", "Mode", MyEnum.Default);

If conversion fails, Get<T> returns the default value. Use TryGet<T> when a format mismatch has to be told apart from a real default — a value stored as 210000 and read as DateTime returns false rather than silently falling back.

Section Mapping

The first parameter (section) maps to different concepts depending on the provider:

Target Frameworks

netstandard2.0 and net461.

The net461 build has no NuGet dependencies. Registry and XML are part of the framework there, so nothing is pulled in. FromJson is excluded from that build because System.Text.Json is not part of the framework and would add eight transitive packages.

License

MIT