Configuration in .NET Core

Here’s some basic examples for reading from a configuration file:

1) Create an appsettings.json file in your project.

2) Add this to your csproj file, so that it gets to your output directory:

<ItemGroup>
    <None Update="appsettings.json">
        <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </None>
</ItemGroup>

3) Install the appropriate NuGet packages:

dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder

4) Add data to your appsettings file, either as simple key-value pairs, or nest them:

{
    "ApplicationName": "Some Application",
 
    "ConnectionStrings": {
        "CS1": "some-connection-string",
        "CS2": "some-other-connection-string"
    },
 
    "Queries": {
        "Q1": {
            "ConnectionStringKey": "CS1",
            "QueryText": "some query",
            "Timeout": 40
        },
        "Q2": {
            "ConnectionStringKey": "CS2",
            "QueryText": "some other query"
        }
    }
}

5) Profit:

public class QueryInfo {
    public string ConnectionStringKey { get; set; }
    public string QueryText { get; set; }
}
 
var config = new ConfigurationBuilder()
    .SetBasePath(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory())
    .AddJsonFile("appsettings.json")
    .Build();
 
string appName = config["ApplicationName"];
var queries = config.GetSection("Queries").GetChildren()
    .Select(x => new
    {
        x.Key,
        QueryInfo = x.Get<QueryInfo>()
    }).ToArray();
 
foreach (var query in queries)
{
    // Special GetConnectionString reads from "ConnectionStrings"
    string connString = config.GetConnectionString(query.QueryInfo.ConnectionStringKey); 
}