title: Where are user-mode .NET settings stored?
body: <p>I'm wondering what is the magic behind .settings files in .NET.
  Imagine you create an assembly called in this example <code>SettingsHolder</code>, you create your settings class which is public with a string inside in user mode , then you compile.</p>
  
  <p>Now you reference your assembly in MyApp, you compile then you can change the value in your application of your setting with the settings class generated in <code>SettingsHolder</code> and persist them.</p>
  
  <p>Now go in the output directory of MyApp and there is no trace of your setting (nothing in the application configuration file, nothing in the assembly, nothing !).</p>
  
  <p>What is going on?! (I have tried to source step debug in .NET source, and reflector to see what is happening, .NET seems to use <code>LocalFileSettingsProvider</code> (but it seems weird to me because there is nothing in <code>MyApp.exe.config</code> in the output directory).</p>