why is this config file wrong

Question

chris5126 26 Posting Pro in Training

15 Years Ago

Hi,

I wish to add the following to my web.config file:

<appSettings>
    <add key="networkDrive" value="C:\test"/>
  </appSettings>

But everytime I add it i get the following error:

Sections must only appear once per config file

I looked in the file to see if it appeared more than once but couldn't find it I did a search for appSettings it returned three results, two were included in the statement I just added and the third was

</sectionGroup></sectionGroup></sectionGroup></configSections>
  
  <appSettings/>

However I cant see where it was opened. If I take out the code I add the project compiles without error. Please help whole config file below!

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- 
    Note: As an alternative to hand editing this file you can use the 
    web admin tool to configure settings for your application. Use
    the Website->Asp.Net Configuration option in Visual Studio.
    A full list of settings and comments can be found in 
    machine.config.comments usually located in 
    \Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v2.x\Config 
-->
<configuration>
  <configSections>
		<sectionGroup name="system.web.extensions" type="System.Web.Configuration.SystemWebExtensionsSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
			<sectionGroup name="scripting" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
				<section name="scriptResourceHandler" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingScriptResourceHandlerSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
				<sectionGroup name="webServices" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingWebServicesSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
					<section name="jsonSerialization" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingJsonSerializationSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="Everywhere"/>
					<section name="profileService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingProfileServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
					<section name="authenticationService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingAuthenticationServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
					<section name="roleService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingRoleServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/></sectionGroup></sectionGroup></sectionGroup></configSections>
  
  <appSettings/>
	<connectionStrings>
		<add name="sitehealthConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=CHRIS-LAPTOP\PROJECT;Initial Catalog=sitehealth;Integrated Security=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
	</connectionStrings>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="networkDrive" value="C:\test"/>
  </appSettings>
	<system.web>
		<authentication mode="Windows"/>
		<authorization>
			<deny users="?"/>
		</authorization>
		<identity impersonate="true" userName="service_sitehealth" password="VFK279"/>
		<!-- 
            Set compilation debug="true" to insert debugging 
            symbols into the compiled page. Because this 
            affects performance, set this value to true only 
            during development.
        -->
		<compilation debug="true">
			<assemblies>
				<add assembly="System.Core, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
				<add assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
				<add assembly="System.Xml.Linq, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
				<add assembly="System.Data.DataSetExtensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
				<add assembly="System.ServiceProcess, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B03F5F7F11D50A3A"/>
				<add assembly="System.Security, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B03F5F7F11D50A3A"/>
				<add assembly="System.Web.Extensions.Design, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
				<add assembly="System.Design, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B03F5F7F11D50A3A"/>
				<add assembly="System.Windows.Forms, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/></assemblies>
		</compilation>
		<!--
            The <customErrors> section enables configuration 
            of what to do if/when an unhandled error occurs 
            during the execution of a request. Specifically, 
            it enables developers to configure html error pages 
            to be displayed in place of a error stack trace.

        <customErrors mode="RemoteOnly" defaultRedirect="GenericErrorPage.htm">
            <error statusCode="403" redirect="NoAccess.htm" />
            <error statusCode="404" redirect="FileNotFound.htm" />
        </customErrors>
        -->
		<pages buffer="true" enableViewState="true">
			<controls>
				<add tagPrefix="asp" namespace="System.Web.UI" assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
				<add tagPrefix="asp" namespace="System.Web.UI.WebControls" assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/></controls></pages>
		<httpHandlers>
			<remove verb="*" path="*.asmx"/>
			<add verb="*" path="*.asmx" validate="false" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
			<add verb="*" path="*_AppService.axd" validate="false" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
			<add verb="GET,HEAD" path="ScriptResource.axd" validate="false" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptResourceHandler, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/></httpHandlers>
		<httpModules>
			<add name="ScriptModule" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptModule, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/></httpModules>
	</system.web>
  
	<system.codedom>
		<compilers>
			<compiler language="c#;cs;csharp" extension=".cs" type="Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider,System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" warningLevel="4">
				<providerOption name="CompilerVersion" value="v3.5"/>
				<providerOption name="WarnAsError" value="false"/></compiler>
			<compiler language="vb;vbs;visualbasic;vbscript" extension=".vb" type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.VBCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" warningLevel="4">
				<providerOption name="CompilerVersion" value="v3.5"/>
				<providerOption name="OptionInfer" value="true"/>
				<providerOption name="WarnAsError" value="false"/></compiler></compilers></system.codedom>
	<system.webServer>
		<validation validateIntegratedModeConfiguration="false"/>
		<modules>
			<remove name="ScriptModule"/>
			<add name="ScriptModule" preCondition="managedHandler" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptModule, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/></modules>
		<handlers>
			<remove name="WebServiceHandlerFactory-Integrated"/>
			<remove name="ScriptHandlerFactory"/>
			<remove name="ScriptHandlerFactoryAppServices"/>
			<remove name="ScriptResource"/>
			<add name="ScriptHandlerFactory" verb="*" path="*.asmx" preCondition="integratedMode" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
			<add name="ScriptHandlerFactoryAppServices" verb="*" path="*_AppService.axd" preCondition="integratedMode" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
			<add name="ScriptResource" verb="GET,HEAD" path="ScriptResource.axd" preCondition="integratedMode" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptResourceHandler, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/></handlers></system.webServer>
	<runtime>
		<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
			<dependentAssembly>
				<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Extensions" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"/>
				<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-1.1.0.0" newVersion="3.5.0.0"/></dependentAssembly>
			<dependentAssembly>
				<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Extensions.Design" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"/>
				<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-1.1.0.0" newVersion="3.5.0.0"/></dependentAssembly></assemblyBinding></runtime></configuration>

asp.net

2 Contributors
5 Replies
282 Views
10 Hours Discussion Span
Latest Post 15 Years Ago Latest Post by achristov

achristov 12 Junior Poster in Training

15 Years Ago

<appSettings/>

<appSettings>
<add key="networkDrive" value="C:\test"/>
</appSettings>

This is what is wrong. You have two appSettings sections: an empty one (the above) and your modified one. You should keep only one of them.
If you find this answer satisfactory, please add to my reputation.

achristov 12 Junior Poster in Training

15 Years Ago

Nevermind! You still have two appConfig sections. The fact that the first one does not have child nodes does not mean that the sections are getting merged or otherwise processed by the configuration manager. Once it encounters the first section it processes it and decides that the job's finished. You offer it extra work with the second section so it complains.

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chris5126 26 Posting Pro in Training · Answer 1 · 2009-04-22T17:53:21+00:00

Thats what i thought initally but if you look there is never <appSettings> for the first one otherwise I would have just added my key to that section!

chris5126 26 Posting Pro in Training · Answer 2 · 2009-04-22T18:13:33+00:00

hi,

Thanks and I understand that but how do i fix the problem if I add:

Before the <appSettings/> I get an error Unrecognized configuration section add. if I add

I get The 'appSettings' start tag on line 20 does not match the end tag of 'configuration'. Line 106, position 123.

I just dont get it!

achristov 12 Junior Poster in Training · Answer 3 · 2009-04-22T18:43:21+00:00

You should have

<appSettings><add key="networkDrive" value="C:\test"/></appSettings>

in your web.config. The line

<add key="networkDrive" value="C:\test"/>

is allowed only within appSettings section. The section appSettings should be one and only one in the whole config file.