I'm creating a simple console demo app as an NHibernate learning exercise. I have put configuration information in an app.config file, in a <hibernate-configuration> section (rather than a <hibernate> section), as shown in Listing 3.3 of the ebook version of 'NHibernate in Action'.

Here is my app.config section:

<!-- NHibernate Configuration -->
<hibernate-configuration xmlns="urn:nhibernate-configuration-2.2">
<session-factory>
<property name="connection.provider">
NHibernate.Connection.DriverConnectionProvider
</property>
<property name="dialect">
NHibernate.Dialect.MsSqlCeDialect
</property>
<property name="connection.driver_class">
NHibernate.Driver.SqlClientDriver
</property>
<property name="connection.connection_string">
Data Source="D:\DCV Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Demos\NHibernateDemo1\NHibernateDemo1\NHibernateDemo1.sdf"
</property>
</session-factory>
</hibernate-configuration>

And here is the code I am using to configure NHibernate:

// Create configuration object
Configuration cfg = new Configuration();
cfg.AddAssembly("NHibernateDemo1");

// Create an NHibernate session factory
m_SessionFactory = cfg.BuildSessionFactory();

When the AddAssembly() call executes, I get the error: "The dialect was not set. Set the property hibernate.dialect." As you can see, the dialect is in fact set.

The log file includes the following entry:

2007-07-06 20:57:58,625 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Environment [(null)] <(null)> - nhibernate section not found in application configuration file

So, to me, it looks like NHibernate is not looking for a <hibernate-configuration> section, only an <nhibernate> section. As a result, it isn't finding any of the configuration information in my app.config file.

Can I use a <hibernate-configuration> in my app.config file, or am I limited to using only an <nhibernate> section? Or does my problem lie somewhere else?

Thanks for your help.

Yes, you can use <hibernate-configuration>, but you have to specify a different configuration section handler (NHibernate.Cfg.ConfigurationSectionHandler in assembly NHibernate).

Thanks, Sergey. I think that's what I what I have specified as the configuration section handler. Here is the spec from <configSections>:

<section
name="hibernate-configuration"
type="NHibernate.Cfg.ConfigurationSectionHandler, NHibernate"
/>

Any other suggestions? Thanks again for your help.

I may have found an answer. I looked up the log message in the NHibernate source code, and there is what I found:

private static void LoadGlobalPropertiesFromAppConfig()
{
object config = ConfigurationSettings.GetConfig( "nhibernate" );
if( config == null )
{
log.Info( "nhibernate section not found in application configuration file" );
return;
}
...
}

From this, it would appear that NHibernate looks only for an <nhibernate> section.

Am I missing something, or is that in fact the case?

No, it just looks for hibernate-configuration settings elsewhere. Are you sure they are not getting picked up? The log message may be confusing, it only means that the nhibernate section wasn't found, it doesn't imply anything more than that.

Here's the log (level=INFO). When I use a a <hibernate> section with the same info, NHibernate configures without problem. Any thoughts? Thanks again!

2007-07-07 15:23:22,359 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Environment [(null)] <(null)> - NHibernate 1.2.0.4000 (1.2.0.4000)
2007-07-07 15:23:22,546 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Environment [(null)] <(null)> - nhibernate section not found in application configuration file
2007-07-07 15:23:22,593 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Environment [(null)] <(null)> - Bytecode provider name : lcg
2007-07-07 15:23:22,609 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Environment [(null)] <(null)> - Using reflection optimizer
2007-07-07 15:23:24,046 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Configuration [(null)] <(null)> - Searching for mapped documents in assembly: NHibernateDemo1
2007-07-07 15:23:24,171 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Configuration [(null)] <(null)> - Adding embedded mapping document: NHibernateDemo1.Model.Customer.hbm.xml
2007-07-07 15:23:24,171 [9] INFO NHibernate.Cfg.Configuration [(null)] <(null)> - Mapping resource: NHibernateDemo1.Model.Customer.hbm.xml
2007-07-07 15:23:24,328 [9] ERROR NHibernate.Cfg.Configuration [(null)] <(null)> - Could not compile the mapping document: NHibernateDemo1.Model.Customer.hbm.xml
NHibernate.MappingException: Could not compile the mapping document: NHibernateDemo1.Model.Customer.hbm.xml ---> NHibernate.HibernateException: The dialect was not set. Set the property hibernate.dialect.
at NHibernate.Dialect.Dialect.GetDialect()
at NHibernate.Dialect.Dialect.GetDialect(IDictionary props)
at NHibernate.Cfg.Configuration.AddValidatedDocument(XmlDocument doc, String name)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---

Right, I think a call to Configuration.Configure() should cure it:

Right--that's got it! Thanks again for your help!