Aloe.Utils.Configuration.Default 1.0.2

Aloe.Utils.Configuration.Default

Aloe.Utils.Configuration.Default is a lightweight utility that, even when using ConfigurationBuilder on its own, provides the standard loading of configuration files, environment variables, command-line arguments, and development secrets—just as HostBuilder does by default.

Main Features

• One-line configuration setup with AddDefault<T> method
• Automatic loading of:
  • Base configuration file (appsettings.json)
  • Environment-specific configuration files (e.g., appsettings.Development.json)
  • User Secrets (in development environment)
  • Environment variables
  • Command-line arguments
• Support for file change monitoring with automatic reload

Supported Environments

• .NET 9 and later
• Used in conjunction with Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.ConfigurationBuilder

Usage

using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
using Aloe.Utils.Configuration.Default;

// Create a ConfigurationBuilder
var configurationBuilder = new ConfigurationBuilder()
    .SetBasePath(AppContext.BaseDirectory)
    // Not required when using Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args) instead of ConfigurationBuilder.
    .AddDefault<Program>(args, reloadOnChange: true);

// Build and use the host
using var host = builder.Build();
var config = host.Services.GetRequiredService<IConfiguration>();

// Access configuration values
var connectionString = config.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");
var appName = config["Application:Name"];

Notes

Not Required When Using Generic Host

This utility is designed for use with ConfigurationBuilder alone, as the Generic Host already loads these items by default. When using the Generic Host, these configurations are already loaded by default.

// Web host builder available since ASP.NET Core 2.1
IWebHostBuilder webHostBuilder2_1 = WebHost.CreateDefaultBuilder(args);

// Generic host builder available since .NET Core 3.0
// At this time, ASP.NET Core and the interface were not unified, and the writing style was inconsistent
IHostBuilder hostBuilder3_0 = Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args);

// Host builder introduced in .NET 6 for Minimal API
// ASP.NET Core side's response to interface unification
WebApplicationBuilder webAppBuilder6 = Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder.WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Generic host builder introduced in .NET 7
// Interface unification and more consistent writing style
HostApplicationBuilder hostAppBuilder7 = Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);

// Lighter minimal configuration version added in .NET 8 (preview)
// For Minimal APIs, does not load configuration files
//WebApplicationBuilder slimBuilder8 = Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder.WebApplication.CreateSlimBuilder(args);

Build Only Once When Using reloadOnChange: true

When using reloadOnChange: true with ConfigurationBuilder, the monitoring becomes active and prevents garbage collection. Therefore, if you use this setting, you should only build the configuration once at application startup.

License

MIT License