ConfigParser2

The ConfigParser2 library is a C# library that adds a few features to the standard JSON reader in .NET.

Features

References

With the library, you can reference other JSON values in your JSON file. This is useful for when you have a lot of repeated values.

As an example, let's say you have a JSON file that looks like this:

{
    "OutputDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Output\\",
    "InputDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Input\\"
}

You can introduce a working directory variable, and then reference it in the other variables:

{
    "WorkingDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\",
    "OutputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory}Output\\",
    "InputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory}Input\\"
}

This will also work with hirarchical JSON files. For example, if you have a JSON file that looks like this:

{
    "WorkingDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\",
    "OutputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory}Output\\",
    "InputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory}Input\\",
    "Files": [
        {
            "Name": "File1",
            "Path": "${InputDirectory}File1.txt"
        },
        {
            "Name": "File2",
            "Path": "${InputDirectory}File2.txt"
        }
    ]
}

and also if the JSON file looks like this:

{
    "WorkingDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\",
    "OutputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory}Output\\",
    "InputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory}Input\\",
    "Files": {
        "File1": {
            "Path": "${InputDirectory}File1.txt"
        },
        "File2": {
            "Path": "${InputDirectory}File2.txt"
        }
    }
}

Environment Variables

With the library, you can reference environment variables in your JSON file. This is useful for when you want to have a JSON file that is portable across different machines.

You specify an environment variable by using the following syntax:

${ENV:VariableName}

As an example, let's say you have a JSON file that looks like this:

{
    "OutputDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Output\\",
    "InputDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Input\\"
}

You can introduce an environment variable, and then reference it in the other variables:

{
    "OutputDirectory": "${ENV:USERPROFILE}\\Documents\\Output\\",
    "InputDirectory": "${ENV:USERPROFILE}\\Documents\\Input\\"
}

File Contents

With the library, you can reference the contents of a file in your JSON file.

You specify a file by using the following syntax:

${FILE:Path}

As an example, let's say you have a JSON file that looks like this:

{
    "OutputDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Output\\",
    "InputDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Input\\"
}

You can introduce a file, and then reference it in the other variables:

{
    "OutputDirectory": "${FILE:C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Output.txt}",
    "InputDirectory": "${FILE:C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Input.txt}"
}

You can also add a regular expression to the file reference. The regular expression will be applied to the file contents, and the first match will be used as the value.

{
    "OutputDirectory": "${FILE:C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Output.txt:.*}",
    "InputDirectory": "${FILE:C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\Input.txt:.*}"
}

Current DateTime

With the library, you can reference the current date in your JSON file.

You specify the current date by using the following syntax:

${NOW}

or if you need the UTC date:

${UTCNOW}

Base64 Decoding

With the library, you can decode a string to base64 in your JSON file.

You specify the base64 encoding by using the following syntax:

${BASE64:Value}

Path Manipulation

With the library, you can combine paths in your JSON file. If you add a slash at the end of a replacement, the replacement value will always end in a directory separator.

You specify the path manipulation by using the following syntax:

${key/}

For example, if you have a JSON file that looks like this:

{
    "WorkingDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents",
    "OutputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory/}Output\\"
}

The value of OutputDirectory will be "C:\Users\User\Documents\Output\". The same is true if the file looks like this:

{
    "WorkingDirectory": "C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\",
    "OutputDirectory": "${WorkingDirectory/}Output\\"
}

Usage

You create a new ConfigParser2 object, and then call the Parse method on it.

ConfigReader parser = new ConfigReader(content);
var r = cr.Get("key1");

The return value can have theses types:

• StringValue
• NumberValue
• TrueValue
• FalseValue
• NullValue
• ArrayValue

You can access a subsection by using GetSection:

var r = cr.GetSection("key1");

The return value will be null if the key doesn't exist, or if the key is not a section. Othewise it will have the Type ConfigReader. So you can call Get or GetSection on it.