Can't read app.config in C# .NET Core unit test project with ConfigurationManager

Question

I've created a simple unit test project to read an app.config file. Target framework is Core 2.0. I also created a Core 2.0 console app, to sanity-check myself to make sure I wasn't doing anything weird (same test passed as expected in a .NET 4.6.1 unit test project).

The console app reads the app.config fine, but the unit test method fails and I cannot figure out why. Both are using a copy of the same app.config (not added as a link) and both have the System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager v4.4.1 NuGet package installed.

The App.config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="Test1" value ="This is test 1."/>
    <add key="Test2" value ="42"/>
    <add key="Test3" value ="-42"/>
    <add key="Test4" value="true"/>
    <add key="Test5" value="false"/>
    <add key="Test6" value ="101.101"/>
    <add key="Test7" value ="-1.2345"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

The Unit Test

using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
using System.Configuration;

namespace ConfigTest
{
    [TestClass]
    public class UnitTest1
    {
        [TestMethod()]
        public void ConfigTest()
        {
            foreach (string s in ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.AllKeys)
            {
                System.Console.WriteLine(s);
                System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(s);
            }

            //AllKeys.Length is 0? Should be 7...
            Assert.IsTrue(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.AllKeys.Length == 7);
        }
    }
}

The Console App

using System;
using System.Configuration;

namespace ConfigTestApp
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            foreach (string s in ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.AllKeys)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(s);
                System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(s);
            }

            //Outputs 7 as expected
            Console.WriteLine(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.AllKeys.Length);
        }
    }
}  

Given that I'm still pretty new to the whole .NET Core world, am I doing something totally incorrect here? I sort of just feel crazy at the moment...

Answer 1

Looking through the github issue's comments, I found a work around that can go in the msbuild file...

<Target Name="CopyCustomContent" AfterTargets="AfterBuild">
  <Copy SourceFiles="app.config" DestinationFiles="$(OutDir)\testhost.dll.config" />
</Target>

This makes it easier to verify existing tests under .NET Core before porting the configuration data over to json configuration files.

Edit

If running under Resharper, the previous answer doesn't work as Resharper proxies the assembly, so you need

<Target Name="CopyCustomContent" AfterTargets="AfterBuild">
  <Copy SourceFiles="app.config" DestinationFiles="$(OutDir)\ReSharperTestRunner64.dll.config" />
</Target>