How to read connection string in ASP .NET Core Razor Pages

Question

I can't wrap my head around how to retrieve connection strings in ASP .NET Core. I've spent two days trying all the different things and can't get it to work.

I have tried the following methods:

• Using ConfigurationManager.AppSettings a Count returns 0
• Using ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings[].ConnectionString - the only connection string that exists is to .\SQLEXPRESS (have to use index rather than string in the ConnectionStrings[]), specifying a name of the connection results in object reference not set error
• Trying to use WebConfigurationManager can't find how to add it. I've tried System.Web.Configuration, NuGet packages, references.
• Using IConfiguration and dependency injection - I've got no idea how to read the connection string (how to reference the controller in the model and read the value of "xxx" connection string)

ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["SupplierDB"].ConnectionString
// NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings[0].ConnectionString
// data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|aspnetdb.mdf;User Instance=true

ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Count.ToString();
// Returns 0

I've got same connection strings specified in both appsettings.json and web.config. Can someone please point me in the right direction as I'm currently completely lost as nothing works.

appsettings.json

{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "CustomerDB": "Data Source=(localdb)\\MSSQLLocalDB;Initial Catalog=Customer_Db;Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;Encrypt=False;TrustServerCertificate=False;ApplicationIntent=ReadWrite;MultiSubnetFailover=False",
    "SupplierDB": "Data Source=(localdb)\\MSSQLLocalDB;Initial Catalog=Supplier_Db;Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;Encrypt=False;TrustServerCertificate=False;ApplicationIntent=ReadWrite;MultiSubnetFailover=False"
  },
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Information",
      "Microsoft": "Warning",
      "Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime": "Information"
    }
  },
  "AllowedHosts": "*"
}

web.config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="CustomerDB" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" connectionString="Data Source=(localdb)\MSSQLLocalDB;Initial Catalog=Customer_Db;Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;Encrypt=False;TrustServerCertificate=False;ApplicationIntent=ReadWrite;MultiSubnetFailover=False"/>
    <add name="SupplierDB" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" connectionString="Data Source=(localdb)\MSSQLLocalDB;Initial Catalog=Supplier_Db;Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;Encrypt=False;TrustServerCertificate=False;ApplicationIntent=ReadWrite;MultiSubnetFailover=False"/>
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

Answer 1

You can create an AppSettings class like this, by copying your appsettings.json to QuickType:

public class AppSettings
{
    public static ConnectionStrings ConnectionStrings { get; set; }
    public static Logging Logging { get; set; }
    public static string AllowedHosts { get; set; }
}

public class ConnectionStrings
{
    public string CustomerDb { get; set; }
    public string SupplierDb { get; set; }
}

public class Logging
{
    public LogLevel LogLevel { get; set; }
}

public class LogLevel
{
    public string Default { get; set; }
    public string Microsoft { get; set; }
    public string MicrosoftHostingLifetime { get; set; }
}

Then in Startup:

public IConfiguration Configuration { get; }

    // This method gets called by the runtime. Use this method to add services to the container.
    public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
    {
        Configuration.Get<AppSettings>();
        services.AddControllersWithViews();
    }

I use static for easy access instead of injecting AppSettings through DI.

Or if you don't want to put them all in a class, check out the Options pattern from Microsoft.