Connection strings not available from App.Config in Unit Tests run on TFS 2015 -

i'v db facing unit tests take connection string app.config file. i'm grabbing strings thru configurationmanager class.

var constring = configurationmanager.connectionstrings["db"].connectionstring; 

the tests run fine on dev machine not on tfs. there null refernce error. if jsut replace connection string in unit test hard coded string - identical in app.config - test works. oh yeah, , i've made sure app.config set "copy output folder".

is there known issue tfs , configurationmanager?

pom

i ran same problem tfs 2015 (on premises update 2). have multiple test projects access connection string app.config file 1 particular project failed access connection string caused our build fail.

i altered .csproj file match other working test projects didn't provide success, instead following worked me:

1. copied contents of app.config notepad
2. deleted app.config file project
3. added new application configuration file (app.config) project
4. pasted contents notepad new app.confg file
5. right click app.config file , altered properties:
   • build action: content
   • copy output directory: copy always

upon check-in unit tests within project passed successfully.

it's odd solution got our tests running.

note: deleting app.config file necessary step. changing properties on file (prior deleting file) didn't make difference.

update:

after applying above solution noticed unit tests running twice , after investigation discovered entire issue down our build configuration: -

• on our visual studio build task use following parameter on our ms build arguments:

  /p:outdir=$(build.stagingdirectory)

• our visual studio test task configured test assembly in following location:

  **\$(buildconfiguration)\*test*.dll;-:**\obj\**

altering test assembly location following fixed everything:

$(build.stagingdirectory)\*test*.dll;-:**\_publishedwebsites\**

no more issues app.config files , unit tests ran once only.