Question

What is a good approach to managing a debug and release connection string in a .NET / SQLServer application?

I have two SQL Servers, a production and a build/debug and I need a method of switching between the two when my ASP.NET application is deployed.

Currently I simply store them in the web.config and comment one or the other out, however that is error prone when deploying.

Answer 1

Create a Debug and Release version of the Web.config file, e.g. Web.debug.config and Web.release.config. Then add a pre-compile condition that copies the relevant version into the web.config based upon the current Target.

Edit: To add the pre compile condition right click on you project and select “Properties” then goto the “Build Events” tab and add the code below to the precompile condition. Obviously, you will have to ammend the code to your needs, see image below.

@echo off

echo Configuring web.config pre-build event ...

if exist "$(ProjectDir)web.config" del /F / Q "$(ProjectDir)web.config"

if "$(ConfigurationName)" == "Debug Test" goto test
if "$(ConfigurationName)" == "Debug M" goto M
if "$(ConfigurationName)" == "Debug BA" goto BA
if "$(ConfigurationName)" == "Release Test" goto test
if "$(ConfigurationName)" == "Release M" goto M
if "$(ConfigurationName)" == "Release BA" goto BA

echo No web.config found for configuration $(ConfigurationName). Abort batch.
exit -1
goto :end

:test
copy /Y "$(ProjectDir)web.config.test" "$(ProjectDir)web.config"
GOTO end

:BA
copy /Y "$(ProjectDir)web.config.BA" "$(ProjectDir)web.config"
GOTO end

:M
copy /Y "$(ProjectDir)web.config.M" "$(ProjectDir)web.config"
GOTO end

:end
echo Pre-build event finished

Project Properties http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/1843/propsa.jpg