Value cannot be null. Parameter name: connectionString appsettings.json in starter

Question

I am trying to write my connection string in my appsettings.json file and bring it into my startup file but I keep getting a Value cannot be null. Parameter name: connectionString. I have been using various examples but can't seem to see this new setup with ASP.NET 1.0 Core startup class.

Appsetting.json file:

{
"Data": {
"DefaultConnection": {
  "ConnectionString": "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=dbase;Trusted_Connection=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true"

},
"Logging": {
  "IncludeScopes": false,
  "LogLevel": {
    "Default": "Debug",
    "System": "Information",
    "Microsoft": "Information"
  }
}
}
}

Method attempting Startup.cs

public Startup(IHostingEnvironment env)
    {
        var builder = new ConfigurationBuilder()
            .SetBasePath(env.ContentRootPath)
            .AddJsonFile("appsettings.json", optional: true, reloadOnChange: true)
            .AddJsonFile($"appsettings.{env.EnvironmentName}.json", optional: true)
            .AddEnvironmentVariables();
        Configuration = builder.Build();
    }

 public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
    {
        var connStr = Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");
        System.Console.WriteLine(connStr);
        services.AddDbContext<DbContext>(options => options.UseSqlServer(connStr)); //error right here -- Null value
}

Answer 1

First of all, the

 "Data": {
"ConnectionStrings": {
  "DefaultConnection": "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=dbase;Trusted_Connection=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true"},
}

Is slightly different from the structure you get when you add a "Asp.NET Configuration File" in Visual Studio. When you do that you get

"ConnectionStrings": {
  "DefaultConnection": "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=dbase;Trusted_Connection=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true"},

without the "Data" JavaScript Object. So that's why the extension method isn't working. It expects this structure. You can use this structure (the one with "Data") anyway and get you connection string like so:

var connectionString = Configuration["Data::ConnectionStrings:DefaultConnection"];

Notice that you are navigating through the JavaScript object tree using ':' instead of '.'. That's do to some cross-platform issues with using the '.'.

If you edit out the "Data":{} you can do this :

var connectionString = Configuration["ConnectionStrings:DefaultConnection"];

Now the extension method will work. Underneath the covers it is the same thing as the code above.

var config2 = Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");

Answer 2

DefaultConnection is the inner object in the json structure and it is the child of Data object.

So if you want to be exact with your config file you can use

var connStr = Configuration.GetSection("Data")
                           .GetSection("DefaultConnection")["ConnectionString"];

Answer 3

I was missing the letter 's' after the ConnectionString property name in the appsettings.json when using Configuration.GetConnectionString("name")

If you want to copy

"ConnectionStrings ": {
  "SpyStore": "Server=(localdb)\\mssqllocaldb;Database=SpyStore;Trusted_Connection=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true;"
}

The method wording GetConnectionString confused me, I hovered over it and oh be hold it was looking for ConnectionStrings property name instead of ConnectionString

Answer 4

You need to change your appsetting.jsonto:

    {
  "Data": {
    "ConnectionStrings": {
      "DefaultConnection": "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=dbase;Trusted_Connection=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true"

    },
    "Logging": {
      "IncludeScopes": false,
      "LogLevel": {
        "Default": "Debug",
        "System": "Information",
        "Microsoft": "Information"
      }
    }
  }
}

And now will be working:

  var connStr = Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");

Answer 5

this is was the message that appeared me

Value cannot be null. Parameter name: connectionString

I fix it changed in the startup these lines

services.AddDbContext<AppIdentityDbContext>(options =>
options.UseSqlServer(
Configuration["Data:BookStoreContext:ConnectionString"]));

To

services.AddDbContext<AppIdentityDbContext>(options =>
options.UseSqlServer(
Configuration.GetConnectionString("BookStoreContext")));

Answer 6

I had got similar error.My "appsettings.json" file was not loading because the properties of the file was Copy to Output Directory -> Do not Copy. I set that to Copy always save and rebuild.It worked.

Answer 7

I fought with the null connection string issue far too long, only to find I was doing this:

builder.Services.AddDbContext<MlDataContext>(provider => new MlDataContext(config.GetConnectionString("ConnectionStrings:SqlConnectionString")));

I was using both the ConnectionStrings: prefix AND GetConnectionString. When I removed the prefix it worked:

builder.Services.AddDbContext<MlDataContext>(options => options.UseSqlServer(config.GetConnectionString("SqlConnectionString")));