System 2.0.0.0 4.0.0.0 The interface enables controls and components hosted in an application to persist their application settings in a manner largely transparent to the application. However, in some cases, the application or environment may need to override the settings provider natively used by a component with one of its own choosing. The interface enables the creation of a lightweight service that communicates such an alternate settings provider, typically offered through the owning . is commonly used by design-time tools and debuggers that provide special support for application settings. To make such an arrangement function seamlessly, the class contains constructors that take a reference to the owning component. These constructors automatically query for compatible settings providers. Provides an interface for defining an alternate application settings provider. Method 2.0.0.0 4.0.0.0 System.Configuration.SettingsProvider The method enables an to offer its serialization services to any sited component. This method determines if the associated settings provider can persist the specified application settings property type. If it can, this method returns a reference to that settings provider; otherwise it returns null. Returns the settings provider compatible with the specified settings property. If found, the that can persist the specified settings property; otherwise, null. The that requires serialization.