C#

static void Main(string[] args)
      {
         //
         // Read your "local" App.config file
         //
         string localValue = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Akey"];
         Console.WriteLine("Local Value: " + localValue);

         //
         // Read a "remote", i.e. a different App.config file.
         //
         Configuration c = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(
           new ExeConfigurationFileMap() { ExeConfigFilename = @"C:\temp\App.config"},
           ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
         
         string remoteValue = c.AppSettings.Settings["AKey"].Value;
         Console.WriteLine("Remote value: " + remoteValue);

         Console.ReadLine();
      }

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="AKey" value="YaddaYaddaYoo"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

The two tasks are part of one overall task, which is to create the files and then work on them.

Solution: make them both part of the same project.

The second task uses files created in the first as input, but is not directly linked.

Solution: put the path in the config of both projects. If the tasks can be run independently, those paths might not be the same. By reading from the config of one project you are forcing that project to be there, even though all you need is the files it created.

The two tasks are loosely coupled (so shouldn't be one project) but expected to be run in sequence in the same location

Solution: either have a controller project which calls one and then the other, passing the path as some sort of parameter (command line would be fine); or, store configuration information in a known common place (e.g. registry, user Local Settings folder, etc) and have both projects refer to that. (Essentially that is a controller but with no code, only data.)

BobJanova wrote:

This seems like one of those things which is a bit hard because you shouldn't be
doing it.