Unable to access connection string from app config

[John ph]

I have been trying for hours now. but unable to access the connection strng from app config file. 1. Application has reference to System.Configuration.dll 2. App Config file has the connectionString still the following code returns nothing.

Private Shared Function GetConnectionString( _
ByVal name As String) As String

    Dim returnValue As String = Nothing

   Dim settings As ConnectionStringSettings = \_
       ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings(name)

    If Not settings Is Nothing Then
        returnValue = settings.ConnectionString
    End If

    Return returnValue

End Function

can any one guess what's going wrong?

- Regards -
   J O N

---

A good thing is a bad thing if it keeps you from the best thing. - Dr. Adrian Rogers

---

[SeMartens]

Hi, just a wild guess, but I think you have to use the connectionstring within the web.config file. ASP.NET projects get their application settings from there. Must look like this:

<connectionStrings>
<add name="MyConnectionString" connectionString="here it goes" />
</connectionStrings>

Regards Sebastian

[John ph]

it's a seperate library project for DataAccess (DAL). Added a app config file. I'm trying to take the connection string from there instead of passing it through the presentation, BAL... this is what I have in app config file

<connectionStrings>
<add name="Name" providerName="Provider Name" connectionString="Connection String" />
</connectionStrings>

- Regards -
   J O N

---

A good thing is a bad thing if it keeps you from the best thing. - Dr. Adrian Rogers

---

[SeMartens]

Hmm, don't know if this works. As far as i know the config is loaded by the app, and in this case this is a web-app, expecting a web.config. But maybe you can load the app.config with the configuration manager manually? Regards Sebastian

[N a v a n e e t h]

Have you stepped into the code? Are you getting ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings as NOTHING?

Navaneeth How to use google | Ask smart questions

[John ph]

yes, ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings returns NOTHING. but i have a valid connection string with a NAME and PROVIDER NAME in the app config file.

- Regards -
   J O N

---

A good thing is a bad thing if it keeps you from the best thing. - Dr. Adrian Rogers

---

[Jaffer Mumtaz]

Hi, Try using the following

System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("ConnectionString").ToString()

and in app.config

<appSettings>
<add key="ConnectionString" value="Data Source=MyData;Initial Catalog=Data;Integrated Security=False;User id=abcd;Password=1234;"/>
</appSettings>

[John ph]

ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("DBConnectString") returns NOTHING

- Regards -
   J O N

---

A good thing is a bad thing if it keeps you from the best thing. - Dr. Adrian Rogers

---

[Jaffer Mumtaz]

Paste the code of your app.config and the code which you are calling to access it