ConfigurationManager.AppSettings Returns Null In Unit Test Project

Question

I have a C# unit test project with application settings in the app.config file. I am testing a class that exists in a different project. That class depends on both, ConfigurationManager.AppSettings and ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings.

The project that the class being tested resides in does not have an app.config file. I would have thought that because the class is being instantiated in the context of the unit test project that it would use the unit test project's app.config file. Indeed, that does seem to be the case for the connection string.

The class retrieves the connection string without any issues. However, when the class tries to retrieve any application settings the configuration manager always returns null. What is going on here?

Edit 1

I thought maybe it would be a good idea to try load some settings in the test project to see what happens. I tried to load the setting in the unit test immediately before calling the code that instantiates the class in the external project. Same result, nothing. I guess I can exclude the other project from the equation for the time being.

Here is an excerpt from my config file:

<configSections>
  <sectionGroup name="applicationSettings"
                type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
    <section name="MyNamespace.Properties.Settings"
             type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"
             requirePermission="false" />
  </sectionGroup>
</configSections>

...

<applicationSettings>
  <MyNamespace.Properties.Settings>
    <setting name="Bing_Key"
             serializeAs="String">
      <value>...</value>
    </setting>
  </MyNamespace.Properties.Settings>
</applicationSettings>

and here is how I am attempting to load the setting:

string test = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Bing_Key"];

Answer 1

You mentioned settings in the project properties. See if you can access the setting this way:

string test = Properties.Settings.Default.Bing_Key;

You may need to get the executing assembly of where the project settings file is defined, but try this first.

EDIT

When using Visual Studio's project settings file, it adds stuff to your app.config and creates the app.config if it is not present. ConfigurationManager CAN'T touch these settings! You can only get to these specific generated project.settings file from using the above static method. If you want to use ConfigurationManager, you will need to hand write your app.config. Add your settings to it like so:

<appSettings>
  <add key="bing_api" value="whatever"/>
</appSettings>