Azure App Configuration

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What is Azure App Configuration?

Azure App Configuration provides a service to centrally manage application settings and feature flags.

Prerequisite

Create an Azure Account
Setup Azure CLI
Log in with Azure CLI
Create a resource group.
To learn these steps, please check Azure CLI content.

Create Azure App Configuration

Example code to create free Azure App Configuration:

  $ az appconfig create \
    --resource-group codesanook-example-resource-group \
    --location southeastasia \
    --name codesanook-example-app-config \
    --sku Free

List connection string

$ az appconfig credential list \
  --resource-group codesanook-example-resource-group \
  --name codesanook-example-app-config

Store JSON value in App Configuration

  $ az appconfig kv set \
    --connection-string 'Endpoint=https://codesanook-example-app-config.azconfig.io;Id=xxx;Secret=xxx' \
    --key TestApp:Settings:Colors \
    --value [\"red\", \"green\", \"blue\"] \
    --content-type application/json

Consume configuration in .NET Generic host

Setup a new .NET project and add required Nuget package

Create a .NET Console app project with the following command:

$ dotnet new console --name AzureAppConfigurationExample

CD to AzureAppConfigurationExample folder and add required Nuget package with the following command:

$ dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting
$ dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.AzureAppConfiguration

Update code to consume Azure App Configuration

Open the project with VS Code.

Open Program.cs file and update the code as following:

using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
// Create generic host builder
var builder = Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args);
// Configure configuration source
builder.ConfigureAppConfiguration(configurationBuilder =>
{
    configurationBuilder.SetBasePath(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory());
    configurationBuilder.AddJsonFile("appsettings.json", optional: true);
    configurationBuilder.AddEnvironmentVariables();
    configurationBuilder.AddUserSecrets<Program>();
    // Configure Azure App Configuration. We need to build configuration to a get connection string from a user secret.
    var configuration = configurationBuilder.Build();
    configurationBuilder.AddAzureAppConfiguration(configuration.GetConnectionString("AppConfig"));
});
builder.ConfigureServices((hostContext, services) =>
    // Bind TestApp:Settings section to TestSettings class.
    services.Configure<TestSettings>(hostContext.Configuration.GetSection("TestApp:Settings"))
);
// Build a generic host.
using var host = builder.Build();
// Consume the configuration by creating a new solve and resolve dependency.
// IOptions can be used as constructor injection
using var scope = host.Services.CreateScope();
var settings = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IOptions<TestSettings>>();
Console.WriteLine($"{string.Join("\n", settings.Value.Colors)}");
// Run a generic host.
await host.RunAsync();
// Settings class to hold setting values
class TestSettings
{
    public string[] Colors { get; set; }
}

Set user secret to the project

Get connection string value from az appconfig credential list command.

$ dotnet user-secrets init
$ dotnet user-secrets set ConnectionStrings:AppConfig 'Endpoint=https://codesanook-example-app-config.azconfig.io;Id=xxx;Secret=xxx'

Run .NET project

$ dotnet run

You should see all values of colors setting in a terminal.

Delete Azure App Configuration key

$ az appconfig kv delete \
  --connection-string 'Endpoint=https://codesanook-example-app-config.azconfig.io;Id=xxx;Secret=xxx' \
  --key TestApp:Settings:Colors

Delete Azure App Configuration

Example code to delete Azure App Configuration:

  $ az appconfig delete \
    --resource-group codesanook-example-resource-group \
    --name codesanook-example-app-config

Useful resources

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