How to change values of web.config file using powershell

Question

Hi I am trying to change the values of a connection string for a web.config file but getting error:

The property 'connectionString' cannot be found on this object. Verify that the property exists and can be set.

Here's the script I'm using:

$webConfig = 'C:\Users\test\Desktop\web\web.config'
$doc = (Get-Content $webConfig) -as [Xml]
$obj = $doc.configuration.appSettings.add | where {$_.Key -eq 'CommandTimeOut'}
$obj.value = '60'
$config = [xml](gc $webConfig)  
$con= $config.configuration.connectionStrings.add|where-object{$_.name -eq "password"};

$con.connectionString = $con.connectionString -replace "123456", "admin1234"

$doc.Save($webConfig)

I've modified the code as below, but it's still not working and I'm getting the same error.

$cfg = [xml](gc $webConfig) 
$con= $cfg.configuration.connectionStrings.add|where-object{$_.name -eq "password"};
$cfg.configuration.connectionStrings.add.connectionString=   
$cfg.configuration.connectionStrings.add.connectionString -replace "123456","admin123"
$doc.Save($webConfig)

can you share the web.config ? at least the <connectionStrings> part ? — Loïc MICHEL
– Loïc MICHEL, Commented Aug 22, 2014 at 10:07
<add name="membership" connectionString="Data Source=server1;Initial Catalog=inventory;MultipleActiveResultSets=true;user id=inventoryWebUser;password=123456" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /> — san
– san, Commented Aug 22, 2014 at 10:40

Illuminati · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-01 03:17:10Z

17

Late, but just in case someone may find a use for it, I've written a re-usable Power-Shell do to that.

    #set the value of this to your own db config
$myConnectionString = "Data Source=.;Initial Catalog=<Database>;Integrated Security=True";

$webConfig = '.\Api\Web.config'
$dbUpConfig = '.\Database\App.config'
$unitTestConfig = '.\Test\App.config'

Function updateConfig($config) 
{ 
$doc = (Get-Content $config) -as [Xml]
$root = $doc.get_DocumentElement();
$activeConnection = $root.connectionStrings.SelectNodes("add");
$activeConnection.SetAttribute("connectionString", $myConnectionString);
$doc.Save($config)
} 

updateConfig($webConfig)
updateConfig($dbUpConfig)
updateConfig($unitTestConfig)

edited Feb 1, 2016 at 3:17

answered Feb 1, 2016 at 3:11

Illuminati

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Comments

Loïc MICHEL · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-22 17:05:44Z

4

here is a step-by-step example :

[xml]$x='<connectionStrings>
<add name="membership" connectionString="Data Source=server1;Initial Catalog=inventory;MultipleActiveResultSets=true;user id=inventoryWebUser;password=123456" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
<add name="test" connectionString="Data Source=server1;Initial Catalog=inventory;MultipleActiveResultSets=true;user id=inventoryWebUser;password=123456" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>'

$mycon=$x.connectionStrings.add |?{$_.name -eq "membership"}
$mycon.connectionString=$mycon.connectionstring -replace "password=123456","password=admin123"
$x.save("c:\temp\newconf.xml")
gc c:\temp\newconf.xml

answered Aug 22, 2014 at 17:05

Loïc MICHEL

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1 Comment

JJJCoder Over a year ago

For a web.config file, start with $cfg = (Get-Content "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\mysite\web.config") -as [Xml] , then $x would be $cfg.configuration, i.e. $cfg.configuration.connectionStrings.add...

Loïc MICHEL · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-22 10:12:03Z

2

a dirty way could be to replace the text without parsing the xml, something like this (in case there is no previous connectionstrings defined ) :

$replacementstring=@"
<connectionStrings>
  <add 
    name="NorthwindConnectionString" 
    connectionString="Data Source=serverName;Initial 
    Catalog=Northwind;Persist Security Info=True;User 
    ID=userName;Password=password"
    providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"
  />
</connectionStrings>
"@

(gc c:\temp\web.config) -replace "<connectionStrings/>" ,$repl  | out-file c:\temp\new_web.config

answered Aug 22, 2014 at 10:12

Loïc MICHEL

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7 Comments

san Over a year ago

i just added the connection string. i am not sure what am i missing in my script which is not replacing the connection string value. however it does change the "key" values according to the script

Loïc MICHEL Over a year ago

this worked for me :

$x.configuration.connectionStrings.add.connectionString= $x.configuration.connectionStrings.add.connectionString -replace "123456","admin123"

san Over a year ago

still getting the same error, i just modified in question. Am i using the code and its placement the right way???

Loïc MICHEL Over a year ago

Your where condition is wrong it shoud be ` where-object{$_.name -eq "membership"}` you are also mixing $cfg and $con

san Over a year ago

if you look at my script (modified script in question) is it good to go if i replace password with membership

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