In this article I will explain how to read values of
AppSettings from
App.Config file using C# and VB.Net.
In Windows applications one has to reference the
System.Configuration Assembly in order to read
AppSetting values from the
App.Config file.
Software Information
Adding System.Configuration reference
The very first thing you need to do is to add reference of the System.Configuration Assembly to the project in the following way.
1. Right click on the project and click Add Reference option from the Context Menu.
![Read AppSettings value from App.Config file using C# and VB.Net]()
2. From the
Add Reference dialog box, click on
.Net Tab and look for
System.Configuration assembly. Once you find it simply select and click
OK.
![Read AppSettings value from App.Config file using C# and VB.Net]()
3. Once the reference is added, it will be shown in the References folder of the Solution Explorer.
![Read AppSettings value from App.Config file using C# and VB.Net]()
AppSetting Key
The following AppSetting key will be used for read value.
<add key="Name" value="Mudassar Khan" />
Namespaces
You will need to import the following namespace.
C#
using System.Configuration;
VB.Net
Imports System.Configuration
Reading AppSettings value from App.Config file using C# and VB.Net
Once the reference is added, you can read the
AppSettings value from the
App.Config file in the following way.
C#
string name = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Name"];
VB.Net
Dim name As String = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.("Name")
Screenshot
![Read AppSettings value from App.Config file using C# and VB.Net]()
Testing Log
Compiled in: Visual Studio 2026
Framework: .NET 4.8.
Result: 100% Success
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