appsettingsEnvironmentjson

appsettingsEnvironmentjson refers to the environment-specific configuration file used by ASP.NET Core applications. It typically takes the form of appsettings.{Environment}.json, where Environment is a runtime name such as Development, Staging, or Production. This file works alongside the base appsettings.json to provide environment-sensitive settings.

The environment-specific file is loaded by the configuration system after the base appsettings.json. The environment name is determined from the hosting environment (for example, ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT or IHostEnvironment.EnvironmentName). If present, the values in appsettings.{Environment}.json override corresponding values in appsettings.json for any matching keys. The file is optional, so if it does not exist, the application still runs using the base configuration.

Common usage and contents include connection strings, service endpoints, and logging levels that vary by environment. For example, a Development file might point to a local database and enable verbose logging, while a Production file would reference production services and a lower logging level. Together with user secrets in development and environment variables in production, environment-specific files help keep configuration flexible across deployment targets.

Configuration and best practices: in typical ASP.NET Core projects, the configuration builder loads appsettings.json, then appsettings.{EnvironmentName}.json, allowing environment overrides. Developers should avoid storing sensitive credentials in environment-specific files that are checked into source control; prefer user secrets in development and environment variables or secure secrets management in production. This approach supports clean separation of concerns and safer deployment workflows.