Connection String Manager

A .NET Global Tool for easily managing connection strings across different environments in C# applications.

Features

• 🔄 Easy Environment Switching - Switch between Development, QA, and Production with one command
• 🛡️ Automatic Backups - Creates timestamped backups before making changes
• 📁 Multiple File Formats - Supports both appsettings.json and web.config/app.config
• 🔒 Security Conscious - Masks sensitive information when displaying connection strings
• ⚡ Global Tool - Install once, use anywhere
• 🎯 Simple Commands - Intuitive command-line interface

Quick Start Demo

Want to see it in action with real databases? Create our ConnectionStringTester demo app - a complete example showing the tool working with real SQLite databases. The demo visually shows your connection strings switching between Development, QA, and Production environments. See the demo documentation for setup instructions.

Installation

Install as a .NET Global Tool:

dotnet tool install -g ConnectionStringManager

Or install from local source:

dotnet tool install -g ConnectionStringManager --add-source ./path/to/nupkg

Usage

Basic Commands

# Switch to different environments
connstr -f appsettings.json -e Development
connstr -f appsettings.json -e QA
connstr -f appsettings.json -e Production

# List all connection strings
connstr -f appsettings.json --list

# Switch without creating backup
connstr -f appsettings.json -e Production --no-backup

Command Options

• -f, --file <path> - Path to configuration file (required)
• -e, --environment <env> - Target environment (Development, QA, Production)
• -l, --list - List all available connection strings
• -n, --name <pattern> - Custom naming pattern (default: {Environment}Connection)
• --no-backup - Skip creating backup file
• -h, --help - Show help information

Configuration File Setup

appsettings.json

{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=localhost;Database=MyApp;Trusted_Connection=true;",
    "DevelopmentConnection": "Server=dev-server;Database=MyApp_Dev;Trusted_Connection=true;",
    "QAConnection": "Server=qa-server;Database=MyApp_QA;User Id=qa_user;Password=qa_pass;",
    "ProductionConnection": "Server=prod-server;Database=MyApp_Prod;User Id=prod_user;Password=secure_pass;"
  }
}

web.config / app.config

<configuration>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="DefaultConnection" 
         connectionString="Server=localhost;Database=MyApp;Trusted_Connection=true;" 
         providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    <add name="DevelopmentConnection" 
         connectionString="Server=dev-server;Database=MyApp_Dev;Trusted_Connection=true;" 
         providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    <add name="QAConnection" 
         connectionString="Server=qa-server;Database=MyApp_QA;User Id=qa_user;Password=qa_pass;" 
         providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    <add name="ProductionConnection" 
         connectionString="Server=prod-server;Database=MyApp_Prod;User Id=prod_user;Password=secure_pass;" 
         providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

How It Works

The tool updates your DefaultConnection to match the selected environment's connection string:

1. Before: DefaultConnection points to development database
2. Run: connstr -f appsettings.json -e Production
3. After: DefaultConnection now points to production database
4. Backup: Original file saved as appsettings.json.backup.20241218_143022

Your application code remains unchanged - it continues to use DefaultConnection.

Integration Examples

Build Scripts

PowerShell:

param([string]$Environment = "Development")
connstr -f "src/MyApp/appsettings.json" -e $Environment
dotnet build
dotnet run

Batch File:

@echo off
set ENV=%1
if "%ENV%"=="" set ENV=Development
connstr -f appsettings.json -e %ENV%
dotnet run

CI/CD Pipeline

# Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions example
- name: Switch to Production Environment
  run: connstr -f src/MyApp/appsettings.json -e Production

- name: Build Application  
  run: dotnet build -c Release

Troubleshooting

Tool Not Found

Ensure .NET tools are in your PATH:

# Windows
set PATH=%PATH%;%USERPROFILE%\.dotnet\tools

# Linux/Mac  
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.dotnet/tools"

Connection String Not Found

Verify your connection string naming:

• Default pattern: {Environment}Connection
• Examples: DevelopmentConnection, QAConnection, ProductionConnection
• Use custom pattern: connstr -f config.json -e Development -n "{Environment}DB"

File Access Errors

• Close the config file in your IDE
• Check file permissions
• Verify file path is correct

Requirements

• .NET 8.0 or later
• Windows, macOS, or Linux

Updating

# Update to latest version
dotnet tool update -g ConnectionStringManager

# Uninstall if needed
dotnet tool uninstall -g ConnectionStringManager

License

MIT License - feel free to use in your projects.

Contributing

Found a bug or want to add a feature? Issues and pull requests welcome!

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Made with ❤️ for C# developers who are tired of manually switching connection strings.