Connect to a database from Web.Config <appSettings> section C# / MVC

Question

I'm currently connected to a database using

Web.Config

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="MVCDatabase" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\MVCDatabase.mdf;Integrated Security=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>

Controller

public MVCDatabase db = new MVCDatabase();

Model

public class MVCDatabase : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Things> Tables2 { get; set; }
    public DbSet<OtherStuff> Table2{ get; set; }
}

is there a way of moving the database connection string, and it still working in the controller etc, to the [appSettings] section in the Web.Config file?

Web.Config Example

<appSettings>
     <add key="ConnectionString" value="Server=dbserver; Database=mvcdatabase; User Id=username; Password=password"/>
</appSettings>

Edit (Fix)

After searching loads, i worked out that i needed to and put it in generate a machine key and place it in my web.config file

something like this

<machineKey validationKey="8AA518FA814CFC6572AFD7E3E1139D1AE5A3CE9B4952B2BD2DABC1428C3CC85842A4F1060E02F8EDFA2FD5CE7AAD0F67EF9842AA96186544F4A6D5ED3444AC48" decryptionKey="9F2CABCCBC0EA7CD6B96BD263AB78962D1577AB557BB7422" validation="SHA1" />

Rob King · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-25 22:05:34Z

2

Try this:

Reference System.Configuration
Add this at the top of the file:
```
using System.Configuration;
```

Then change your model by adding a constructor as follows:

public class MVCDatabase : DbContext
{
    public MVCDatabase() : base(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["ConnectionString"])
    {
    }

    ...
}

Then set up the config file as you said in your question. What is certain, is that the constructor will accept either the name of the config element (where it assumes its on connectionStrings) or the explicit connection string, which ConfigurationManager should return.

answered Apr 25, 2013 at 22:05

Rob King

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4 Comments

Jack Allen Over a year ago

Hi, this is added into my model, and the web.config updated, i now get this error.. The network path was not found through the WebSecurity.InitializeDatabaseConnection() method used for User logins, any ideas?

Rob King Over a year ago

Is your DBContext in a seperate assembly? If so, make sure your connection string defined in the web application config as well as that of the assembly.

Rob King Over a year ago

Hi Jack. Did adding the connection string to the web.config file resolve the issue? If so can you please mark the question as answered?

Jack Allen Over a year ago

Hi, i have updated my question with what i found to fix my issue, Thanks Rob

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