⚙️ Common.Config

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

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✅ 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>

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📦 Installation

Install via your internal NuGet feed:

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

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✅ 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

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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; } }

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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(); } }

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🧾 Example Embedded Default Config

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

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

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📂 Config File Locations

Purpose	Location
Default config	Embedded as <SoftwareName>.defaults.json in your app
Runtime settings	%AppData%\OptonMedia\<SoftwareName>\settings.json

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🧠 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%

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✅ 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

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🚫 Limitations

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

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📌 Example Apps

• RefboxManager
• HPWLSBurnInTest
• WeldMasterConfigTool

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

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📦 Folder Structure

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

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✅ Future Features

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