web.config file has a missing <appsettings> - asp.net

Question

I am trying to add some keys to my web.config:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="system.web.extensions" type="System.Web.Configuration.SystemWebExtensionsSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
<sectionGroup name="scripting" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
<section name="scriptResourceHandler" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingScriptResourceHandlerSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
<sectionGroup name="webServices" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingWebServicesSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
<section name="jsonSerialization" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingJsonSerializationSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="Everywhere"/>
<section name="profileService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingProfileServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
<section name="authenticationService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingAuthenticationServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
<section name="roleService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingRoleServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
</sectionGroup>
</sectionGroup>
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<add key="dePracticeErrors" value="agordon,user1,user2,user3"/>
<add key="dePreAnalytical" value="user2,user1,user3"/>
<appSettings/>
<connectionStrings>
<add name="qcvalues_testConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=hermes;Initial Catalog=qcvalues_test;Integrated Security=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
</connectionStrings>
<system.web>
<!--
when i compile i get this error:
Server Error in '/' Application.
Configuration Error
Description: An error occurred during the processing of a configuration file required to service this request. Please review the specific error details below and modify your configuration file appropriately.
Parser Error Message: Unrecognized configuration section add.
Source Error:
Line 14: </sectionGroup>
Line 15: </configSections>
Line 16: <add key="dePracticeErrors" value="agordon,user1,user2,user3"/>
Line 17: <add key="dePreAnalytical" value="user2,user1,user3"/>
Line 18: <appSettings/>
Source File: C:\Documents and Settings\agordon\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\EnterData\EnterData\web.config Line: 16
Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.3623; ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.3618
I see this in the config file:
<appSettings/> however i do not see an opening tag at all <appSettings>
where is the opening tag and why doesn't it like my keys?

Answer 1

<appSettings/>
Is a single-line closed tag. Meaning that you have declared the appSettings element and you are declaring that it has no contents. In your above example your keys are currently child nodes of <configuration> root.
Change:
<add key="dePracticeErrors" value="agordon,user1,user2,user3"/>
<add key="dePreAnalytical" value="user2,user1,user3"/>
<appSettings/>
To:
<appSettings>
<add key="dePracticeErrors" value="agordon,user1,user2,user3"/>
<add key="dePreAnalytical" value="user2,user1,user3"/>
</appSettings>