Configuration Management Deep Dive
Terminal.Gui provides a comprehensive configuration system that allows users and developers to customize application behavior and appearance through JSON configuration files. The ConfigurationManager enables persistent settings, themes, and application-specific preferences.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Getting Started
- Configuration Scopes
- Configuration Locations and Precedence
- Themes and Schemes
- Defining Configuration Properties
- Loading and Applying Configuration
- Events
- What Can Be Configured
- Configuration File Format
- Best Practices
Overview
The ConfigurationManager provides:
- Persistent Settings - User preferences stored in JSON files
- Theme System - Named collections of visual settings
- Scheme Management - Color and text style definitions
- Configuration Precedence - Layered configuration from multiple sources
- Runtime Configuration - In-memory configuration without files
- AOT Compatible - Works with Native AOT compilation
Key Features
- JSON-based configuration with schema validation
- Multiple configuration locations (user home, app directory, resources)
- Process-wide settings using static properties
- Built-in themes (Default, Dark, Light, etc.)
- Custom glyphs and Unicode characters
- Event-driven configuration changes
Getting Started
Enabling Configuration
ConfigurationManager is disabled by default and must be explicitly enabled:
using Terminal.Gui.Configuration;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// Enable configuration with all sources
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.All);
Application.Init();
// ... rest of app
}
}
Quick Example
// Enable configuration
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.All);
// Listen for configuration changes
ConfigurationManager.Applied += (sender, e) =>
{
Console.WriteLine("Configuration applied!");
};
// Switch themes
ThemeManager.Theme = "Dark";
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
Configuration Scopes
Terminal.Gui uses three configuration scopes, each serving a different purpose:
1. SettingsScope
System-level settings that affect Terminal.Gui behavior. Only Terminal.Gui library developers can define SettingsScope properties.
[ConfigurationProperty(Scope = typeof(SettingsScope))]
public static bool Force16Colors { get; set; } = false;
Examples:
Application.QuitKey- Default key to quit applicationsApplication.Force16Colors- Force 16-color modeKey.Separator- Character separating keys in key combinations
2. ThemeScope
Visual appearance settings that can be themed. Only Terminal.Gui library developers can define ThemeScope properties.
[ConfigurationProperty(Scope = typeof(ThemeScope))]
public static LineStyle DefaultBorderStyle { get; set; } = LineStyle.Single;
Examples:
Window.DefaultBorderStyle- Default border style for windowsDialog.DefaultShadow- Default shadow style for dialogsSchemes- Color schemes for the theme
3. AppSettingsScope (Default)
Application-specific settings. Application developers can define AppSettingsScope properties for their apps.
[ConfigurationProperty] // AppSettingsScope is default
public static string MyAppSetting { get; set; } = "default value";
Important:
- App developers cannot define
SettingsScopeorThemeScopeproperties - AppSettings property names must be globally unique (automatically prefixed with class name)
Configuration Locations and Precedence
Configuration is loaded from multiple locations with increasing precedence (higher numbers override lower):
ConfigLocations Enum
ConfigLocations specifies where configuration can be loaded from:
ConfigLocations.HardCoded (Lowest Precedence)
- Default values in code (static property initializers)
- Always available, even when ConfigurationManager is disabled
ConfigLocations.LibraryResources
- Settings in
Terminal.Gui.dllresources (Terminal.Gui.Resources.config.json) - Defines default themes and settings for the library
- Settings in
-
- Settings in ConfigurationManager.RuntimeConfig string property
- In-memory configuration without files
-
- App-specific resources (
MyApp.Resources.config.jsonorResources/config.json) - Embedded in the application assembly
- App-specific resources (
-
- App-specific file in user's home directory (
~/.tui/MyApp.config.json)
- App-specific file in user's home directory (
-
- App-specific file in current directory (
./.tui/MyApp.config.json)
- App-specific file in current directory (
-
- Global file in user's home directory (
~/.tui/config.json)
- Global file in user's home directory (
ConfigLocations.GlobalCurrent (Highest Precedence)
- Global file in current directory (
./.tui/config.json)
- Global file in current directory (
Precedence Diagram
graph TD
A[1. Hard-coded Defaults] --> B[2. Library Resources]
B --> C[3. Runtime Config]
C --> D[4. App Resources]
D --> E[5. App Home Directory]
E --> F[6. App Current Directory]
F --> G[7. Global Home Directory]
G --> H[8. Global Current Directory]
style A fill:#f9f9f9
style H fill:#90EE90
File Locations
Global Settings (config.json):
- Windows:
C:\Users\username\.tui\config.json - macOS/Linux:
~/.tui/config.jsonor./.tui/config.json
App-Specific Settings (AppName.config.json):
- Windows:
C:\Users\username\.tui\UICatalog.config.json - macOS/Linux:
~/.tui/UICatalog.config.jsonor./.tui/UICatalog.config.json
Themes and Schemes
Theme System
A Theme is a named collection of visual settings bundled together. Terminal.Gui includes several built-in themes.
Built-in Themes
- Default - The default Terminal.Gui theme (matches hard-coded defaults)
- Dark - Dark color scheme with heavy borders
- Light - Light color scheme
- TurboPascal 5 - Classic Turbo Pascal IDE colors
- And more - See
Terminal.Gui/Resources/config.jsonfor all built-in themes
Using Themes
// Get current theme
ThemeScope currentTheme = ThemeManager.GetCurrentTheme();
// Get all available themes
Dictionary<string, ThemeScope> themes = ThemeManager.GetThemes();
// Get theme names
ImmutableList<string> themeNames = ThemeManager.GetThemeNames();
// Switch themes
ThemeManager.Theme = "Dark";
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
// Listen for theme changes
ThemeManager.ThemeChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
// Update UI based on new theme
};
Scheme System
A Scheme defines the colors and text styles for a specific UI context (e.g., Dialog, Menu, TopLevel).
See the Scheme Deep Dive for complete details on the scheme system.
Built-in Schemes
Schemes enum defines the standard schemes:
- TopLevel - Top-level application windows
- Base - Default for most views
- Dialog - Dialogs and message boxes
- Menu - Menus and status bars
- Error - Error messages and dialogs
Working with Schemes
// Get all schemes for current theme
Dictionary<string, Scheme> schemes = SchemeManager.GetCurrentSchemes();
// Get specific scheme
Scheme dialogScheme = SchemeManager.GetScheme(Schemes.Dialog);
// Get scheme names
ImmutableList<string> schemeNames = SchemeManager.GetSchemeNames();
// Add custom scheme
SchemeManager.AddScheme("MyScheme", new Scheme
{
Normal = new Attribute(Color.White, Color.Blue),
Focus = new Attribute(Color.Black, Color.Cyan)
});
// Listen for scheme changes
SchemeManager.CollectionChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
// Handle scheme changes
};
Scheme Structure
Each Scheme maps VisualRole to Attribute:
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "BrightGreen",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Cyan",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Yellow",
"Background": "Black"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "Blue",
"Background": "Cyan",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "DarkGray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Faint"
}
}
}
Defining Configuration Properties
Basic Property Definition
Application developers define settings using the ConfigurationPropertyAttribute:
public class MyApp
{
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static string MySetting { get; set; } = "Default Value";
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static int MaxItems { get; set; } = 100;
}
Requirements:
- Must be
publicorinternal - Must be
static - Must be a property (not a field)
- Must have a default value
Property Naming
AppSettings properties are automatically prefixed with the class name to ensure global uniqueness:
// Code
public class MyApp
{
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static string MySetting { get; set; } = "value";
}
// JSON
{
"AppSettings": {
"MyApp.MySetting": "value"
}
}
Scope Specification
Use the Scope parameter to specify non-default scopes (Terminal.Gui library only):
// SettingsScope - Library-wide settings
[ConfigurationProperty(Scope = typeof(SettingsScope))]
public static bool Force16Colors { get; set; } = false;
// ThemeScope - Visual settings
[ConfigurationProperty(Scope = typeof(ThemeScope))]
public static LineStyle DefaultBorderStyle { get; set; } = LineStyle.Single;
// AppSettingsScope - Application settings (default)
[ConfigurationProperty] // or explicitly: Scope = typeof(AppSettingsScope)
public static string MyAppSetting { get; set; } = "default";
Omit Class Name (Advanced)
For library developers only, use OmitClassName = true for cleaner JSON:
[ConfigurationProperty(Scope = typeof(ThemeScope), OmitClassName = true)]
public static Dictionary<string, Scheme> Schemes { get; set; } = new();
Loading and Applying Configuration
Enable with Load and Apply
The simplest approach - enable and load in one call:
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.All);
This:
- Enables ConfigurationManager
- Loads configuration from all locations
- Applies settings to the application
Granular Control
For more control, use Load and Apply separately:
// Enable without loading
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.None);
// Load from specific locations
ConfigurationManager.Load(ConfigLocations.GlobalHome | ConfigLocations.AppResources);
// Apply settings
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
Runtime Configuration
Set configuration directly in code without files:
ConfigurationManager.RuntimeConfig = @"
{
""Application.QuitKey"": ""Ctrl+Q"",
""Application.Force16Colors"": true
}";
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.Runtime);
Reset to Defaults
Reset all settings to hard-coded defaults:
ConfigurationManager.ResetToHardCodedDefaults();
Events
The ConfigurationManager provides events to track configuration changes:
Applied Event
Raised after configuration is applied to the application:
ConfigurationManager.Applied += (sender, e) =>
{
// Configuration has been applied
// Update UI or refresh views
};
ThemeChanged Event
Raised when the active theme changes:
ThemeManager.ThemeChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
// Theme has changed
// Refresh all views to use new theme
Application.Top?.SetNeedsDraw();
};
CollectionChanged Event
Raised when schemes collection changes:
SchemeManager.CollectionChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
// Schemes have changed
};
What Can Be Configured
Application Settings
System-wide settings from SettingsScope:
{
"Application.QuitKey": "Esc",
"Application.Force16Colors": false,
"Application.IsMouseDisabled": false,
"Application.ArrangeKey": "Ctrl+F5",
"Application.NextTabKey": "Tab",
"Application.PrevTabKey": "Shift+Tab",
"Application.NextTabGroupKey": "F6",
"Application.PrevTabGroupKey": "Shift+F6",
"Key.Separator": "+"
}
View-Specific Settings
Settings for individual View types from ThemeScope:
{
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Window.DefaultShadow": "None",
"Dialog.DefaultBorderStyle": "Heavy",
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "Transparent",
"Dialog.DefaultButtonAlignment": "End",
"FrameView.DefaultBorderStyle": "Rounded",
"Button.DefaultShadow": "None",
"PopoverMenu.DefaultKey": "Shift+F10",
"FileDialog.MaxSearchResults": 10000
}
Glyphs
Customize the Unicode characters used for drawing:
{
"Glyphs.RightArrow": "►",
"Glyphs.LeftArrow": "U+25C4",
"Glyphs.DownArrow": "\\u25BC",
"Glyphs.UpArrow": 965010,
"Glyphs.LeftBracket": "[",
"Glyphs.RightBracket": "]",
"Glyphs.Checked": "☑",
"Glyphs.UnChecked": "☐",
"Glyphs.Selected": "◉",
"Glyphs.UnSelected": "○"
}
Glyphs can be specified as:
- Unicode character:
"►" - U+ format:
"U+25C4" - UTF-16 format:
"\\u25BC" - Decimal codepoint:
965010
Discovering Configuration Properties
To find all available configuration properties:
// Get hard-coded configuration
SettingsScope hardCoded = ConfigurationManager.GetHardCodedConfig();
// Iterate through all properties
foreach (var property in hardCoded)
{
Console.WriteLine($"{property.Key} = {property.Value}");
}
Or search the source code for [ConfigurationProperty] attributes.
Themes and Schemes
Theme Structure
A theme is a named collection bundling visual settings and schemes:
{
"Themes": [
{
"Dark": {
"Dialog.DefaultBorderStyle": "Heavy",
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "Transparent",
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Button.DefaultShadow": "Opaque",
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": { "Foreground": "BrightGreen", "Background": "Black" },
"Focus": { "Foreground": "White", "Background": "Cyan" }
},
"Dialog": {
"Normal": { "Foreground": "Black", "Background": "Gray" }
}
}
]
}
}
]
}
Creating Custom Themes
Custom themes can be defined in configuration files:
{
"Themes": [
{
"MyCustomTheme": {
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Double",
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "Opaque",
"Schemes": [
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Cyan",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Bold"
}
}
}
]
}
}
]
}
Then activate the theme:
ThemeManager.Theme = "MyCustomTheme";
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
Theme Inheritance
Themes only override specified properties. To build on an existing theme:
// Start with default theme
ThemeManager.Theme = "Default";
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
// Apply custom theme (overrides only what's specified)
ThemeManager.Theme = "MyCustomTheme";
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
TextStyle in Schemes
Each Attribute in a scheme now includes TextStyle:
{
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Blue",
"Style": "Bold, Underline"
}
}
Available styles (combinable):
NoneBoldFaintItalicUnderlineBlinkReverseStrikethrough
Configuration File Format
Schema
All configuration files must conform to the JSON schema:
Schema URL: https://gui-cs.github.io/Terminal.Gui/schemas/tui-config-schema.json
Root Structure
{
"$schema": "https://gui-cs.github.io/Terminal.Gui/schemas/tui-config-schema.json",
// SettingsScope properties
"Application.QuitKey": "Esc",
"Application.Force16Colors": false,
// Current theme name
"Theme": "Dark",
// Theme definitions
"Themes": [
{
"Dark": {
// ThemeScope properties
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
// Schemes
"Schemes": [ ... ]
}
}
],
// AppSettings
"AppSettings": {
"MyApp.MySetting": "value"
}
}
Complete Example
See the default configuration file:
{
// Specifies the "source of truth" for default values for all Terminal.Gui settings managed by
// ConfigurationManager. It is automatically loaded, and applied, each time Application.Init
// is run (via the ConfigurationManager.Reset method).
//
// In other words, initial values set in the the codebase are always overwritten by the contents of this
// resource embedded in the Terminal.Gui.dll assembly.
//
// The Unit Test method "ConfigurationManagerTests.SaveDefaults" can be used to re-create the base of this file, but
// note that not all values here will be recreated (e.g. the Light and Dark themes and any property initialized
// null).
//
"$schema": "https://gui-cs.github.io/Terminal.Gui/schemas/tui-config-schema.json",
// Set this to true in a .config file to be loaded to cause JSON parsing errors
// to throw exceptions.
"ConfigurationManager.ThrowOnJsonErrors": false,
// --------------- Application Settings ---------------
"Key.Separator": "+",
"Application.ArrangeKey": "Ctrl+F5",
"Application.Force16Colors": false,
//"Application.ForceDriver": "", // TODO: ForceDriver should be nullable
"Application.IsMouseDisabled": false,
"Application.NextTabGroupKey": "F6",
"Application.NextTabKey": "Tab",
"Application.PrevTabGroupKey": "Shift+F6",
"Application.PrevTabKey": "Shift+Tab",
"Application.QuitKey": "Esc",
// --------------- Colors ---------------
// --------------- View Specific Settings ---------------
"PopoverMenu.DefaultKey": "Shift+F10",
"FileDialog.MaxSearchResults": 10000,
"FileDialogStyle.DefaultUseColors": false,
"FileDialogStyle.DefaultUseUnicodeCharacters": false,
// --------------- Themes -----------------
"Themes": [
// We do not override any hard-coded properties for Default here;
// Default is by definition the same as hard-coded.
//{
// "Default": {
// }
//},
{
"TurboPascal 5": {
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Blue"
}
}
},
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Yellow",
"Background": "Blue"
}
}
},
{
"Dialog": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LightGray"
}
}
},
{
"Menu": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Cyan",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LightGray",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "BrightRed",
"Background": "Cyan",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "BrightRed",
"Background": "LightGray",
"Style": "None"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "DarkGray",
"Background": "Cyan",
"Style": "None"
}
}
},
{
"Error": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "BrightRed",
"Background": "LightGray",
"Style": "None"
}
}
}
],
"Glyphs.CheckStateChecked": "☒",
"Glyphs.CheckStateNone": "□",
"Glyphs.CheckStateUnChecked": "☐",
"Glyphs.LeftBracket": "[",
"Glyphs.RightBracket": "]"
}
},
{
"Anders": {
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "WhiteSmoke",
"Background": "DimGray"
}
}
},
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "DarkBlue"
}
},
},
{
"Dialog": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "BrightBlue",
"Background": "LightGray"
},
}
},
{
"Menu": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Blue",
"Style": "Bold"
},
}
},
{
"Error": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Red",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Italic"
},
}
}
],
"Glyphs.CheckStateChecked": "☒",
"Glyphs.CheckStateNone": "□",
"Glyphs.CheckStateUnChecked": "☐",
"Glyphs.LeftBracket": "[",
"Glyphs.RightBracket": "]"
}
},
{
"Dark": {
"Dialog.DefaultButtonAlignment": "End",
"Dialog.DefaultButtonAlignmentModes": "AddSpaceBetweenItems",
"Dialog.DefaultBorderStyle": "Heavy",
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "Transparent",
"FrameView.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"MessageBox.DefaultButtonAlignment": "Center",
"MessageBox.DefaultBorderStyle": "Heavy",
"Button.DefaultShadow": "Opaque",
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Silver",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "DarkGray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "OuterSpace",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "LightYellow",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Silver",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "DarkGray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Onyx"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "OuterSpace",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Dialog": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "SlateGray",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Silver",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "DarkGray",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "SlateGray",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "OuterSpace",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "OuterSpace",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Menu": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Silver",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "DarkGray",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "OuterSpace",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "OuterSpace",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "SlateGray",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Onyx",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Error": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "IndianRed",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "IndianRed",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "LightCoral",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "DarkGray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "IndianRed",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "LightCoral",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "LightCoral",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "IndianRed",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
}
]
}
},
{
"Light": {
"Dialog.DefaultButtonAlignment": "End",
"Dialog.DefaultButtonAlignmentModes": "AddSpaceBetweenItems",
"Dialog.DefaultBorderStyle": "Heavy",
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "Transparent",
"FrameView.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"MessageBox.DefaultButtonAlignment": "Center",
"MessageBox.DefaultBorderStyle": "Heavy",
"Button.DefaultShadow": "Opaque",
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "DimGray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LightGray",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LemonChiffon",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Silver",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LightGray",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LemonChiffon",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Dialog": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "DimGray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LightGray",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LemonChiffon",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Menu": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "DimGray",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Gainsboro",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "LemonChiffon",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "DimGray",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "White",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
},
{
"Error": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "FireBrick",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "None"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "WhiteSmoke",
"Background": "FireBrick",
"Style": "None"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "LightCoral",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "LightGray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Faint"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "WhiteSmoke",
"Background": "FireBrick",
"Style": "Underline"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "WhiteSmoke",
"Background": "LightCoral",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "WhiteSmoke",
"Background": "LightCoral",
"Style": "Underline,Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "WhiteSmoke",
"Background": "FireBrick",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Gray",
"Background": "WhiteSmoke",
"Style": "Italic"
}
}
}
]
}
},
{
"Green Phosphor": {
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "None",
"FrameView.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"MessageBox.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Button.DefaultShadow": "None",
"Menuv2.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
}
}
},
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
}
}
},
{
"Dialog": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "GreenPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "GreenPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "GreenPhosphor",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
}
}
},
{
"Menu": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "GreenPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "GreenPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "GreenPhosphor",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
}
}
},
{
"Error": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Bold,Italic"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "GreenPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint,Italic"
}
}
}
]
}
},
{
"Amber Phosphor": {
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "None",
"FrameView.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"MessageBox.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Button.DefaultShadow": "None",
"Menuv2.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
}
}
},
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "None"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
}
}
},
{
"Dialog": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "AmberPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "AmberPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "AmberPhosphor",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
}
}
},
{
"Menu": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "AmberPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "AmberPhosphor",
"Style": "Bold"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "AmberPhosphor",
"Style": "None"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "None"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint"
}
}
},
{
"Error": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Bold,Italic"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Black",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Italic"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "AmberPhosphor",
"Background": "Charcoal",
"Style": "Faint,Italic"
}
}
}
]
}
},
{
"8-Bit": {
"Dialog.DefaultShadow": "None",
"FrameView.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Window.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"MessageBox.DefaultBorderStyle": "Single",
"Button.DefaultShadow": "None",
"Menuv2.DefaultBorderStyle": "None",
"Glyphs.LeftBracket": "[",
"Glyphs.RightBracket": "]",
"Glyphs.CheckStateChecked": "X",
"Glyphs.CheckStateUnChecked": "O",
"Glyphs.CheckStateNone": " ",
"Glyphs.Selected": "*",
"Glyphs.UnSelected": " ",
"Glyphs.RightArrow": ">",
"Glyphs.LeftArrow": "<",
"Glyphs.DownArrow": "v",
"Glyphs.UpArrow": "^",
"Glyphs.LeftDefaultIndicator": ">",
"Glyphs.RightDefaultIndicator": "<",
"Glyphs.BlocksMeterSegment": "#",
"Glyphs.ContinuousMeterSegment": " ",
"Glyphs.Stipple": ".",
"Glyphs.Diamond": "+",
"Glyphs.Close": "X",
"Glyphs.Minimize": "_",
"Glyphs.Maximize": "^",
"Glyphs.Dot": ".",
"Glyphs.DottedSquare": "#",
"Glyphs.BlackCircle": "O",
"Glyphs.Expand": "+",
"Glyphs.Collapse": "-",
"Glyphs.IdenticalTo": "=",
"Glyphs.Move": "+",
"Glyphs.SizeHorizontal": "-",
"Glyphs.SizeVertical": "|",
"Glyphs.SizeTopLeft": "/",
"Glyphs.SizeTopRight": "\\",
"Glyphs.SizeBottomRight": "/",
"Glyphs.SizeBottomLeft": "\\",
"Glyphs.Apple": "@",
"Glyphs.AppleBMP": "@",
"Glyphs.HLine": "-",
"Glyphs.VLine": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineDbl": "=",
"Glyphs.VLineDbl": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineHvDa2": "-",
"Glyphs.VLineHvDa2": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineHvDa3": "-",
"Glyphs.VLineHvDa3": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineHvDa4": "-",
"Glyphs.VLineHvDa4": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineDa2": "-",
"Glyphs.VLineDa2": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineDa3": "-",
"Glyphs.VLineDa3": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineDa4": "-",
"Glyphs.VLineDa4": "|",
"Glyphs.HLineHv": "=",
"Glyphs.VLineHv": "|",
"Glyphs.HalfLeftLine": "-",
"Glyphs.HalfTopLine": "|",
"Glyphs.HalfRightLine": "-",
"Glyphs.HalfBottomLine": "|",
"Glyphs.HalfLeftLineHv": "-",
"Glyphs.HalfTopLineHv": "|",
"Glyphs.HalfRightLineHv": "-",
"Glyphs.HalfBottomLineLt": "|",
"Glyphs.RightSideLineLtHv": "-",
"Glyphs.BottomSideLineLtHv": "|",
"Glyphs.LeftSideLineHvLt": "-",
"Glyphs.TopSideLineHvLt": "|",
"Glyphs.ULCorner": "+",
"Glyphs.ULCornerDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.ULCornerR": "+",
"Glyphs.ULCornerHv": "+",
"Glyphs.ULCornerHvLt": "+",
"Glyphs.ULCornerLtHv": "+",
"Glyphs.ULCornerDblSingle": "+",
"Glyphs.ULCornerSingleDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCorner": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCornerHv": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCornerHvLt": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCornerLtHv": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCornerDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCornerSingleDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCornerDblSingle": "+",
"Glyphs.LLCornerR": "+",
"Glyphs.URCorner": "+",
"Glyphs.URCornerDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.URCornerR": "+",
"Glyphs.URCornerHv": "+",
"Glyphs.URCornerHvLt": "+",
"Glyphs.URCornerLtHv": "+",
"Glyphs.URCornerDblSingle": "+",
"Glyphs.URCornerSingleDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCorner": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCornerDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCornerR": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCornerHv": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCornerDblSingle": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCornerSingleDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCornerLtHv": "+",
"Glyphs.LRCornerHvLt": "+",
"Glyphs.LeftTee": "+",
"Glyphs.LeftTeeDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.LeftTeeDblV": "+",
"Glyphs.LeftTeeDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.LeftTeeHvH": "+",
"Glyphs.LeftTeeHvV": "+",
"Glyphs.LeftTeeHvDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.RightTee": "+",
"Glyphs.RightTeeDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.RightTeeDblV": "+",
"Glyphs.RightTeeDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.RightTeeHvH": "+",
"Glyphs.RightTeeHvV": "+",
"Glyphs.RightTeeHvDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.TopTee": "+",
"Glyphs.TopTeeDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.TopTeeDblV": "+",
"Glyphs.TopTeeDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.TopTeeHvH": "+",
"Glyphs.TopTeeHvV": "+",
"Glyphs.TopTeeHvDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.BottomTee": "+",
"Glyphs.BottomTeeDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.BottomTeeDblV": "+",
"Glyphs.BottomTeeDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.BottomTeeHvH": "+",
"Glyphs.BottomTeeHvV": "+",
"Glyphs.BottomTeeHvDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.Cross": "+",
"Glyphs.CrossDblH": "+",
"Glyphs.CrossDblV": "+",
"Glyphs.CrossDbl": "+",
"Glyphs.CrossHvH": "+",
"Glyphs.CrossHvV": "+",
"Glyphs.CrossHv": "+",
"Glyphs.ShadowVerticalStart": "|",
"Glyphs.ShadowVertical": "|",
"Glyphs.ShadowHorizontalStart": "-",
"Glyphs.ShadowHorizontal": "-",
"Glyphs.ShadowHorizontalEnd": "-",
"Schemes": [
{
"TopLevel": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
}
}
},
{
"Base": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
}
}
},
{
"Dialog": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "White"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
}
}
},
{
"Menu": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "White"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
}
}
},
{
"Error": {
"Normal": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Focus": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotNormal": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotFocus": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Disabled": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Active": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"HotActive": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"Highlight": {
"Foreground": "Black",
"Background": "White"
},
"Editable": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
},
"ReadOnly": {
"Foreground": "White",
"Background": "Black"
}
}
}
]
}
}
]
}
Best Practices
For Application Developers
1. Enable Early
Enable ConfigurationManager at the start of Main(), before Application.Init():
static void Main()
{
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.All);
Application.Init();
// ...
}
2. Use AppSettings for App Configuration
public class MyApp
{
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static bool ShowWelcomeMessage { get; set; } = true;
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static string DefaultDirectory { get; set; } = "";
}
3. Ship Default Configuration as Resource
Include a Resources/config.json file in your app:
<ItemGroup>
<EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\config.json" />
</ItemGroup>
4. Handle Configuration Changes
ConfigurationManager.Applied += (sender, e) =>
{
// Refresh UI when configuration changes
RefreshAllViews();
};
For Library Developers
1. Use Appropriate Scopes
SettingsScope- For system-wide behaviorThemeScope- For visual appearance that should be themeable- Don't use
AppSettingsScopein library code
2. Provide Meaningful Defaults
[ConfigurationProperty(Scope = typeof(ThemeScope))]
public static LineStyle DefaultBorderStyle { get; set; } = LineStyle.Single;
3. Document Configuration Properties
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets the default border style for all Windows.
/// </summary>
[ConfigurationProperty(Scope = typeof(ThemeScope))]
public static LineStyle DefaultBorderStyle { get; set; } = LineStyle.Single;
Process-Wide Settings
Important
Configuration settings are applied at the process level.
Since configuration properties are static, changes affect all applications in the same process. This is typically not an issue for normal applications, but can affect scenarios with:
- Multiple Terminal.Gui apps in the same process
- Unit tests running in parallel
- Hot reload scenarios
Advanced Topics
JSON Error Handling
Control how JSON parsing errors are handled:
{
"ConfigurationManager.ThrowOnJsonErrors": true
}
false(default) - Silent failures, errors loggedtrue- Throws exceptions on JSON parsing errors
Manually Trigger Updates
Update ConfigurationManager to reflect current static property values:
// Change a setting programmatically
Application.QuitKey = Key.Q.WithCtrl;
// Update ConfigurationManager to reflect the change
ConfigurationManager.UpdateToCurrentValues();
// Save to file (if needed)
string json = ConfigurationManager.Serialize();
File.WriteAllText("my-config.json", json);
Disable ConfigurationManager
Disable and optionally reset to defaults:
// Disable but keep current settings
ConfigurationManager.Disable(resetToHardCodedDefaults: false);
// Disable and reset to hard-coded defaults
ConfigurationManager.Disable(resetToHardCodedDefaults: true);
File System Watching
Watch for configuration file changes:
var watcher = new FileSystemWatcher(
Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile), ".tui"));
watcher.Filter = "*.json";
watcher.Changed += (s, e) =>
{
ConfigurationManager.Load(ConfigLocations.GlobalHome);
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
};
watcher.EnableRaisingEvents = true;
See UICatalog's ConfigurationEditor scenario for a complete example.
Examples
Example 1: Simple Theme Switching
using Terminal.Gui;
using Terminal.Gui.Configuration;
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.All);
Application.Init();
var themeSelector = new ComboBox
{
X = 1,
Y = 1,
Width = 20
};
themeSelector.SetSource(ThemeManager.GetThemeNames());
themeSelector.SelectedItemChanged += (s, e) =>
{
ThemeManager.Theme = e.Value.ToString();
ConfigurationManager.Apply();
};
Application.Run(new Window { Title = "Theme Demo" }).Add(themeSelector);
Application.Shutdown();
Example 2: Custom Application Settings
public class MyApp
{
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static string LastOpenedFile { get; set; } = "";
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static int WindowWidth { get; set; } = 80;
[ConfigurationProperty]
public static int WindowHeight { get; set; } = 25;
}
// Enable and use
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.All);
// Settings are automatically loaded and applied
var window = new Window
{
Width = MyApp.WindowWidth,
Height = MyApp.WindowHeight
};
// Later, save updated settings
MyApp.WindowWidth = 100;
ConfigurationManager.UpdateToCurrentValues();
// Could save to file here
Example 3: Runtime Configuration
ConfigurationManager.RuntimeConfig = @"
{
""Application.QuitKey"": ""Ctrl+Q"",
""Application.Force16Colors"": true,
""Theme"": ""Dark""
}";
ConfigurationManager.Enable(ConfigLocations.Runtime);
// Settings are now applied
// QuitKey is Ctrl+Q
// 16-color mode is forced
// Dark theme is active
See Also
- Scheme Deep Dive - Color scheme details
- Drawing Deep Dive - Color and attribute system
- View Deep Dive - View configuration properties
- Theme Schema - JSON schema for validation
- Default Config - Complete default configuration
UICatalog Examples
The UICatalog application demonstrates configuration management:
- Configuration Editor - Interactive editor for configuration files
- Themes - Theme viewer and selector
- File System Watcher - Automatic reload on configuration file changes