Configuration reader with generic type casting

    /// <summary>
    /// Read configuration values from app.config and convert to specified types
    /// </summary>
    public static class ConfigurationReader
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Get value from AppSettings by key, convert to Type of default value or typeparam T and return
        /// </summary>
        /// <typeparam name="T">typeparam is the type in which value will be returned, it could be any type eg. int, string, bool, decimal etc.</typeparam>
        /// <param name="strKey">key to find value from AppSettings</param>
        /// <param name="defaultValue">defaultValue will be returned in case of value is null or any exception occures</param>
        /// <returns>AppSettings value against key is returned in Type of default value or given as typeparam T</returns>
        public static T GetConfigKeyValue<T>(string strKey, T defaultValue)
        {
            var result = defaultValue;
            try
            {
                if (ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[strKey] != null)
                    result = (T)Convert.ChangeType(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[strKey], typeof(T));
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Tracer.Current.LogException(ex);
            }

            return result;
        }
        /// <summary>
        /// Get value from AppSettings by key, convert to Type of default value or typeparam T and return
        /// </summary>
        /// <typeparam name="T">typeparam is the type in which value will be returned, it could be any type eg. int, string, bool, decimal etc.</typeparam>
        /// <param name="strKey">key to find value from AppSettings</param>
        /// <returns>AppSettings value against key is returned in Type given as typeparam T</returns>
        public static T GetConfigKeyValue<T>(string strKey)
        {
            return GetConfigKeyValue(strKey, default(T));
        }

    }

var timeOut = ConfigurationReader.GetConfigKeyValue("RequestTimeout", 2000);
var url = ConfigurationReader.GetConfigKeyValue("URL", "www.someurl.com");
var enabled = ConfigurationReader.GetConfigKeyValue("IsEnabled", false);