OutWit.Common.Settings.Database 2.0.2

OutWit.Common.Settings.Database

Overview

OutWit.Common.Settings.Database is an Entity Framework Core database storage provider for the OutWit.Common.Settings framework. It enables storing settings in relational databases with support for standalone databases, shared databases, and multi-user isolation.

Features

1. Standalone Database

Use separate database files for each scope with automatic table creation:

var manager = new SettingsBuilder()
    .UseDatabase(path => options => options.UseSqlite($"Data Source={path}"))
    .RegisterContainer<AdvancedSettings>()
    .Build();

manager.Merge();
manager.Load();

2. Shared Database

Store all scopes in a single database with separate tables for Default, Global, and User settings:

var manager = new SettingsBuilder()
    .UseSharedDatabase(
        options => options.UseNpgsql(connectionString),
        userId: Environment.UserName)  // For per-user isolation
    .RegisterContainer<SharedSettings>()
    .Build();

Tables created:

• Settings - Default scope (read-only)
• Settings_Global - Global scope
• Settings_User - User scope with UserId column

3. Custom DbContext Integration

Integrate settings storage into your existing database context:

public class AppDbContext : DbContext
{
    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        modelBuilder.ApplySettingsConfiguration();  // Adds Settings tables
        // ... your other configurations
    }
}

// Usage
var manager = new SettingsBuilder()
    .UseDatabase(() => new AppDbContext(), SettingsScope.Default)
    .Build();

4. Database Providers

Works with any EF Core database provider:

• SQLite
• PostgreSQL
• SQL Server
• MySQL
• And more...

// SQLite
.UseDatabase(path => o => o.UseSqlite($"Data Source={path}"))

// PostgreSQL
.UseSharedDatabase(o => o.UseNpgsql(connectionString), userId)

// SQL Server
.UseDatabase(o => o.UseSqlServer(connectionString), SettingsScope.Global)

5. Multi-User Support

User scope settings are isolated by UserId in shared database mode:

// Desktop app - use Windows username
.UseSharedDatabase(configure, userId: Environment.UserName)

// Web app - use authenticated user ID
.UseSharedDatabase(configure, userId: currentUser.Id)

6. Automatic Schema Management

Tables are created automatically on first use. The schema includes:

• SettingsGroups - Group metadata (display name, priority)
• SettingsEntries - Individual settings (group, key, value, valueKind, tag, hidden)

Installation

Install the package via NuGet:

Install-Package OutWit.Common.Settings.Database

Dependencies:

• OutWit.Common.Settings
• Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Relational (8.0+ / 9.0+ / 10.0+)

You also need a database provider package:

Install-Package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Sqlite
# or
Install-Package Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL
# or
Install-Package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer

License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE.

Attribution (optional)

If you use OutWit.Common.Settings.Database in a product, a mention is appreciated (but not required), for example: "Powered by OutWit.Common.Settings.Database (https://ratner.io/)".

Trademark / Project name

"OutWit" and the OutWit logo are used to identify the official project by Dmitry Ratner.

You may:

• refer to the project name in a factual way (e.g., "built with OutWit.Common.Settings.Database");
• use the name to indicate compatibility (e.g., "OutWit.Common.Settings.Database-compatible").

You may not:

• use "OutWit.Common.Settings.Database" as the name of a fork or a derived product in a way that implies it is the official project;
• use the OutWit.Common.Settings.Database logo to promote forks or derived products without permission.