Configuration settings¶

SAIF.Framework.Validation reads eight settings through two retrieval methods: IEnvironmentService for environment-scoped values such as the rule set directory and cache behavior, and ConfigurationManager.AppSettings for the two switches that consuming applications override per deployment. One value, the rule set signing key, is retrieved through the secure configuration path because it is stored encrypted. All settings are read by RuleSetLoader or ValidationEngine on first use rather than at assembly load.

Configuration retrieval methods¶

Method	Class / Interface	Namespace	Usage pattern
GetConfigSetting	IEnvironmentService	SAIF.Framework.Core.Environment	Called by `RuleSetLoader.EnsureConfigured` with the setting key; returns the environment-specific string value.
GetSecureConfigSetting	IEnvironmentService	SAIF.Framework.Core.Environment	Called by `RuleSetLoader.VerifySignature` for encrypted values; decryption happens inside the environment service.
AppSettings	ConfigurationManager	System.Configuration	Read directly by `ValidationEngine.Validate` through `ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("key")` with a code default when absent.

Environment API settings¶

Settings retrieved via IEnvironmentService (centralized environment configuration service).

Setting key	Method	Data type	Purpose	Consuming class	Source
`Validation.RuleSetPath`	`GetConfigSetting`	String	Directory containing the rule set XML files loaded at first evaluation.	RuleSetLoader	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/RuleSetLoader.vb
`Validation.RuleSetCacheMinutes`	`GetConfigSetting`	Integer	Minutes a parsed rule set stays cached before it is re-read from disk.	RuleSetLoader	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/RuleSetLoader.vb
`Validation.DefaultJurisdiction`	`GetConfigSetting`	String	Jurisdiction code applied when the calling application supplies no value in `IValidationContext`.	ValidationEngine	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/ValidationEngine.vb
`Validation.TraceEvaluationTiming`	`GetConfigSetting`	Boolean	Enables per-rule timing entries in the framework trace log for performance investigation.	ValidationEngine	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/ValidationEngine.vb

AppSettings (Web.config)¶

Settings retrieved via ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.

Setting key	Default value	Purpose	Consuming class	Source
`Validation.TreatWarningsAsFailures`	`false`	Promotes warning-severity results to blocking failures for deployments that require strict intake.	ValidationEngine	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/ValidationEngine.vb
`Validation.MaxFailuresReturned`	`100`	Caps the number of failures returned in a single `ValidationResult` to bound batch error log size.	ValidationEngine	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/ValidationEngine.vb
`Validation.RequireSignedRuleSets`	`true`	Requires a valid rule set signature before a rule set is loaded outside development environments.	RuleSetLoader	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/RuleSetLoader.vb

Secure settings¶

Settings that require decryption or credential retrieval.

Setting key	Encryption method	Purpose	Consuming class	Source
`Validation.RuleSetSigningKey`	DPAPI-protected configuration section, decrypted by `IEnvironmentService`	Verifies the signature on rule set XML files so unreviewed rule changes cannot be loaded.	RuleSetLoader	src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/RuleSetLoader.vb

Transitive configuration (from dependencies)¶

Settings required at runtime by referenced libraries or packages, not directly consumed by this library's code.

Setting key	Method	Source dependency	Dependency type	Purpose
`Framework.TraceListenerName`	`GetConfigSetting`	SAIF.Framework.Core	NuGet	Selects the trace listener that `ValidationComponentBase.WriteTrace` writes component trace entries to.
`Framework.EnvironmentName`	`GetConfigSetting`	SAIF.Framework.Core	NuGet	Identifies the deployment environment used to resolve every other environment-scoped setting.

Configuration dependencies¶

Dependency	Type	Required at	Impact if missing
IEnvironmentService	service	Runtime, on first rule set load	`RuleSetLoader.EnsureConfigured` raises `FrameworkNotInitializedException` and no rule set can be evaluated.
Rule set XML directory	file	Runtime, on first rule set load	`RuleSetNotFoundException` is raised on the first call to `Validate`; `SAIF.PremiumAudit.Batch` aborts the run rather than processing unvalidated records.
Encrypted configuration section	section	Startup	Signature verification cannot run; with `Validation.RequireSignedRuleSets` set to `true`, every rule set load fails.
appSettings section	section	Runtime, per evaluation	Code defaults apply: warnings stay advisory, the failure cap stays at 100, and signed rule sets remain required.

Sources¶

src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/RuleSetLoader.vb
src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/ValidationEngine.vb
src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/SAIF.Framework.Validation.vbproj
src/SAIF.Framework.Validation/App.config