Question Choose the right connection string

[ADH]

I need more then 1 (MS-SQL) connection string/configuration, depending on the current running configuration (Development, Production, offline etc.)
How could I declare these connection strings in advance (Proj. Settings) and tell the application which one to use without the need to compile the program.
Using a command-line argument is an option but still unconvenient.
I know .NET/ASP has an 'outside' non-comipied config file used by the application which you can modify.
Any thing like for a Win Form/Smart desck top application?
Thanks

 

[jmcilhinney]

Open the Settings page of the project properties. There you can add as many connection strings as you like. The name of each one will be added as a property of My.Settings. You can then choose which one to use in whatever way is appropriate, e.g.

Select Case dataMode
    Case DataMode.Development
        connectionString = My.Settings.DevelopmentConnectionString
    Case DataMode.Production
        connectionString = My.Settings.ProductionConnectionString
End Select

 

[ADH]

DataMode?

This is just the point of my question: From where do I get the "DataMode" (command argument? unconvinient, recompile? even less)
Thanks

 

[jmcilhinney]

That's completely up to you. If you're not going to recompile then it has to be outside the compiled code, but exactly where is for you to choose. Maybe it's in the config file. Maybe it's stored in My.settings, which uses the config file anyway. Maybe it comes from some other external source.