Library to read config files (xml or json) that detects file´s changes

Question

I have a XML configuration file like this:

<configuration>
<items>
    <item key="KEY_NAME">
        3
    </item>
</items>
</configuration>

I need some library to read (only read) the files values but can detect changes (for example, change value 3 for 5) without restart application.

I was using njupiter for that, but this project was deprecated. I found MiniFSWatcher, do you known some other library?

Thanks,

Answer 1

Why not use the official https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.io.filesystemwatcher?view=netframework-4.8 class to watch the file system?

Example below:

using (FileSystemWatcher watcher = new 
FileSystemWatcher())
    {
        watcher.Path = args[1];

        // Watch for changes in LastAccess and LastWrite times, and
        // the renaming of files or directories.
        watcher.NotifyFilter = NotifyFilters.LastAccess
                             | NotifyFilters.LastWrite
                             | NotifyFilters.FileName
                             | NotifyFilters.DirectoryName;

        // Only watch text files.
        watcher.Filter = "*.xml";

        // Add event handlers.
        watcher.Changed += OnChanged;

        // Begin watching.
        watcher.EnableRaisingEvents = true;

        // Wait for the user to quit the program.
        Console.WriteLine("Press 'q' to quit the sample.");
        while (Console.Read() != 'q') ;
    }
}

// Define the event handlers.
private static void OnChanged(object source, FileSystemEventArgs e) =>
    // Specify what is done when a file is changed, created, or deleted.
    Console.WriteLine($"File: {e.FullPath} {e.ChangeType}");
}

In the on changed event, you can reload the file and the values.

This is the reason Njupiter is now deprecated.