Unrecognized element in connection string

Question

Can't find what is wrong with my connection string:

I get this exception:

System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: Configuration system failed to initialize ---> System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: Unrecognized element. (D:\C#\learncsharp\Data access\AsyncSQL\AsyncSQL\bin\Debug\AsyncSQL.exe.Config line 2)

This is my code:

string connectionString = null;
string MovieDBContext = null;

try
{
    MovieDBContext = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["MovieDBContext"].ConnectionString;
    connectionString = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["ProgrammingInCSharpConnection"].ConnectionString;
}
catch (Exception e)
{
    Console.WriteLine( e.ToString() );
}

App.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <connectionStrings>
        <add name="MovieDBContext"
             connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\Movies.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
             providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
        <add name="ProgrammingInCSharpConnection" 
             connectionString="Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ProgrammingInCSharp;"
             providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    </connectionStrings>
    <startup> 
        <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2" />
    </startup>
</configuration>

What is wrong? And how to get details which element is wrong?

Possible duplicate of [Configuration System Failed to Initialize](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6436157/configuration-system-failed-to-initialize) — infinitezero, Nov 12 '17 at 12:40

Sajeetharan · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-12T12:58:44.780

0

Make sure you have defined the section in the <configSections> element.Change your config as follows,

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
   <configSections />
    <connectionStrings>
         <add name="MovieDBContext"
            connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\Movies.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
            providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"
        />
         <add name="ProgrammingInCSharpConnection" 
              providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" 
              connectionString="Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ProgrammingInCSharp;"
        />
    </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

edited Nov 12 '17 at 12:58

answered Nov 12 '17 at 12:47

Sajeetharan

216,225
63
350
396

Got the same exception and have warning : `Warning The element 'configSections' has invalid child element 'connectionStrings'. List of possible elements expected: 'section, sectionGroup'.` – vico Nov 12 '17 at 12:56
Problem fixed after removing or just place them in the same lavel : ` ` – vico Nov 12 '17 at 13:15

Unrecognized element in connection string

1 Answers1

Linked