RegistryValueKind Enum

Definition

Namespace:

Microsoft.Win32

Assembly:

Microsoft.Win32.Registry.dll

Specifies the data types to use when storing values in the registry, or identifies the data type of a value in the registry.

public enum class RegistryValueKind

public enum RegistryValueKind

type RegistryValueKind = 

Public Enum RegistryValueKind

Inheritance

Object

ValueType

Enum

RegistryValueKind

Fields

Name	Value	Description
None	-1	No data type.
Unknown	0	An unsupported registry data type. For example, the Microsoft Windows API registry data type REG_RESOURCE_LIST is unsupported. Use this value to specify that the SetValue(String, Object) method should determine the appropriate registry data type when storing a name/value pair.
String	1	A null-terminated string. This value is equivalent to the Windows API registry data type REG_SZ.
ExpandString	2	A null-terminated string that contains unexpanded references to environment variables, such as %PATH%, that are expanded when the value is retrieved. This value is equivalent to the Windows API registry data type REG_EXPAND_SZ.
Binary	3	Binary data in any form. This value is equivalent to the Windows API registry data type REG_BINARY.
DWord	4	A 32-bit binary number. This value is equivalent to the Windows API registry data type REG_DWORD.
MultiString	7	An array of null-terminated strings, terminated by two null characters. This value is equivalent to the Windows API registry data type REG_MULTI_SZ.
QWord	11	A 64-bit binary number. This value is equivalent to the Windows API registry data type REG_QWORD.

Examples

The following code example creates a registry key and sets several values for that key, using RegistryValueKind to specify the registry data types. The example then uses RegistryKey.GetValueKind to check the registry data types, in order to retrieve the values and display them.

using namespace System;
using namespace Microsoft::Win32;
int main()
{
   
   // Delete and recreate the test key.
   Registry::CurrentUser->DeleteSubKey( "RegistryValueKindExample", false );
   RegistryKey ^ rk = Registry::CurrentUser->CreateSubKey( "RegistryValueKindExample" );
   
   // Create name/value pairs.
   // This overload supports QWord (long) values. 
   rk->SetValue( "QuadWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind::QWord );
   
   // The following SetValue calls have the same effect as using the
   // SetValue overload that does not specify RegistryValueKind.
   //
   rk->SetValue( "DWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind::DWord );
   rk->SetValue( "MultipleStringValue", gcnew array<String^>{
      "One","Two","Three"
   }, RegistryValueKind::MultiString );
   rk->SetValue( "BinaryValue", gcnew array<Byte>{
      10,43,44,45,14,255
   }, RegistryValueKind::Binary );
   rk->SetValue( "StringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind::String );
   
   // This overload supports setting expandable string values. Compare
   // the output from this value with the previous string value.
   rk->SetValue( "ExpandedStringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind::ExpandString );
   
   // Display all the name/value pairs stored in the test key, with the
   // registry data type in parentheses.
   //
   array<String^>^valueNames = rk->GetValueNames();
   System::Collections::IEnumerator^ myEnum = valueNames->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnum->MoveNext() )
   {
      String^ s = safe_cast<String^>(myEnum->Current);
      RegistryValueKind rvk = rk->GetValueKind( s );
      switch ( rvk )
      {
         case RegistryValueKind::MultiString:
         {
            array<String^>^values = (array<String^>^)rk->GetValue( s );
            Console::Write( "\r\n {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk );
            for ( int i = 0; i < values->Length; i++ )
            {
               if (i != 0) Console::Write(",");
               Console::Write( " \"{0}\"", values[ i ] );

            }
            Console::WriteLine();
            break;
         }
         case RegistryValueKind::Binary:
         {
            array<Byte>^bytes = (array<Byte>^)rk->GetValue( s );
            Console::Write( "\r\n {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk );
            for ( int i = 0; i < bytes->Length; i++ )
            {
               
               // Display each byte as two hexadecimal digits.
               Console::Write( " {0:X2}", bytes[ i ] );

            }
            Console::WriteLine();
            break;
         }
         default:
            Console::WriteLine( "\r\n {0} ({1}) = {2}", s, rvk, rk->GetValue( s ) );
            break;
      }
   }
}
/*

This code example produces the following output:
 QuadWordValue (QWord) = 42

 DWordValue (DWord) = 42

 MultipleStringValue (MultiString) =, "One", "Two", "Three"

 BinaryValue (Binary) = 0A 2B 2C 2D 0E FF

 StringValue (String) = The path is %PATH%

 ExpandedStringValue (ExpandString) = The path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v2.0\Bin;
 [***The remainder of this output is omitted.***]

*/

using System;
using Microsoft.Win32;

class RegGetDef
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Create a reference to a valid key.  In order for this code to
        // work, the indicated key must have been created previously.
        // The key name is not case-sensitive.
        RegistryKey rk = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("Software\\myTestKey", false);
        // Get the value from the specified name/value pair in the key.

        string valueName = "myTestValue";

        Console.WriteLine("Retrieving registry value ...");
        Console.WriteLine();
        object o = rk.GetValue(valueName);
        Console.WriteLine("Object Type = " + o.GetType().FullName);
        Console.WriteLine();
        switch (rk.GetValueKind(valueName))
        {
            case RegistryValueKind.String:
            case RegistryValueKind.ExpandString:
                Console.WriteLine("Value = " + o);
                break;
            case RegistryValueKind.Binary:
                foreach (byte b in (byte[])o)
                {
                    Console.Write("{0:x2} ", b);
                }
                Console.WriteLine();
                break;
            case RegistryValueKind.DWord:
                Console.WriteLine("Value = " + Convert.ToString((int)o));
                break;
            case RegistryValueKind.QWord:
                Console.WriteLine("Value = " + Convert.ToString((Int64)o));
                break;
            case RegistryValueKind.MultiString:
                foreach (string s in (string[])o)
                {
                    Console.Write("[{0:s}], ", s);
                }
                Console.WriteLine();
                break;
            default:
                Console.WriteLine("Value = (Unknown)");
                break;
        }

        // Attempt to retrieve a value that does not exist; the specified
        // default value is returned.
        string def = (string)rk.GetValue("notavalue", "The default to return");
        Console.WriteLine();
        Console.WriteLine(def);

        rk.Close();
    }
}
/*
Output:
Retrieving registry value ...

Object Type = System.String

Value = testData

The default to return
*/

Imports Microsoft.Win32

Public Class Example
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        ' Delete and recreate the test key.
        Registry.CurrentUser.DeleteSubKey("RegistryValueKindExample", False)
        Dim rk As RegistryKey = Registry.CurrentUser.CreateSubKey("RegistryValueKindExample")
        
        ' Create name/value pairs.
        ' This overload supports QWord (long) values. 
        rk.SetValue("QuadWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind.QWord)
        
        ' The following SetValue calls have the same effect as using the
        ' SetValue overload that does not specify RegistryValueKind.
        '
        rk.SetValue("DWordValue", 42, RegistryValueKind.DWord)
        rk.SetValue("MultipleStringValue", New String() {"One", "Two", "Three"}, RegistryValueKind.MultiString)
        rk.SetValue("BinaryValue", New Byte() {10, 43, 44, 45, 14, 255}, RegistryValueKind.Binary)
        rk.SetValue("StringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind.String) 
        
        ' This overload supports setting expandable string values. Compare
        ' the output from this value with the previous string value.
        rk.SetValue("ExpandedStringValue", "The path is %PATH%", RegistryValueKind.ExpandString)
        
        
        ' Display all name/value pairs stored in the test key, with each
        ' registry data type in parentheses.
        '
        Dim valueNames As String() = rk.GetValueNames()
        Dim s As String
        For Each s In  valueNames
            Dim rvk As RegistryValueKind = rk.GetValueKind(s)
            Select Case rvk
                Case RegistryValueKind.MultiString
                    Dim values As String() = CType(rk.GetValue(s), String())
                    Console.Write(vbCrLf & " {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk)
                    For i As Integer = 0 To values.Length - 1
                        If i <> 0 Then Console.Write(",")
                        Console.Write(" ""{0}""", values(i))
                    Next i
                    Console.WriteLine()
                
                Case RegistryValueKind.Binary
                    Dim bytes As Byte() = CType(rk.GetValue(s), Byte())
                    Console.Write(vbCrLf & " {0} ({1}) =", s, rvk)
                    For i As Integer = 0 To bytes.Length - 1
                        ' Display each byte as two hexadecimal digits.
                        Console.Write(" {0:X2}", bytes(i))
                    Next i
                    Console.WriteLine()
                
                Case Else
                    Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & " {0} ({1}) = {2}", s, rvk, rk.GetValue(s))
            End Select
        Next s
    End Sub
End Class

'
'This code example produces the following output (some output is omitted):
'
' QuadWordValue (QWord) = 42
'
' DWordValue (DWord) = 42
'
' MultipleStringValue (MultiString) = "One", "Two", "Three"
'
' BinaryValue (Binary) = 0A 2B 2C 2D 0E FF
'
' StringValue (String) = The path is %PATH%
'
' ExpandedStringValue (ExpandString) = The path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v2.0\Bin;
' [***The remainder of this output is omitted.***]

Remarks

The RegistryValueKind enumeration defines the set of supported registry data types and the value that is used for unsupported types (Unknown). Starting in the .NET Framework 4, you can specify not to use a data type with the None value.

Use the RegistryKey.GetValueKind method to determine the data type of a registry key value before retrieving the value. When you set a registry key value, use the SetValue method to specify the registry data type explicitly.

See also

• GetValueKind(String)
• SetValue(String, Object)