Configuration

SchemaSmith is flexible about how you pass switches — pick whichever style feels natural. All switches accept either a double-dash (--) or forward-slash (/) prefix. Separate the switch name from its value with : or =. A single leading dash (-) also works.

--switch:value
--switch=value
/switch:value
-switch:value

Switch names are case-insensitive — --logpath, --LogPath, and --LOGPATH all do the same thing.

Values that contain spaces must be quoted:

--ConfigFile:"C:\configs\my config.json"
/LogPath:"C:\My Logs\SchemaSmith"

Flags that take no value (like --version or --help) are specified without a separator.

SchemaSmith layers configuration so you can set sensible defaults in a file and override just the pieces that change per environment. Later sources override earlier ones. The full chain, from lowest to highest priority:

1. Settings file — <ToolName>.settings.json
2. User secrets — .NET user secrets (debug builds only, not present in release builds)
3. Environment variables — prefixed with SmithySettings_
4. CLI switches — --ConnectionString, --ConfigFile, --LogPath

This means a value set in the settings file can be overridden by an environment variable, and a CLI switch always wins.

Override example

Suppose your SchemaQuench.settings.json sets the server:

{
    "Target": {
        "Server": "dev-server"
    }
}

You can override just the server for a single run using an environment variable:

• Windows
• macOS / Linux

$env:SmithySettings_Target__Server = "staging-server"
SchemaQuench

export SmithySettings_Target__Server=staging-server
SchemaQuench

Or override the entire connection from the command line:

SchemaQuench --ConnectionString:"Host=prod-server;\
    Database=mydb;Username=deploy;Password=s3cret;"

The --ConnectionString switch bypasses all individual connection settings — Server, Port, User, Password, and ConnectionProperties are all ignored when a full connection string is provided.

Environment variables give you a clean way to inject configuration without touching files on disk — exactly what you need in CI/CD pipelines and containers. All three tools read environment variables prefixed with SmithySettings_. The prefix is stripped, and double underscores (__) map to hierarchy separators in the configuration structure.

Mapping rules

The prefix SmithySettings_ maps to the root of the config tree; each __ becomes a : hierarchy separator. Example: SmithySettings_Target__Server → Target:Server → { "Target": { "Server": "..." } }.

SchemaTongs and DataTongs use Source instead of Target for their connection section, so the equivalent variables start with SmithySettings_Source__:

• Windows
• macOS / Linux

# SchemaQuench connection
$env:SmithySettings_Target__Server = "myserver"
$env:SmithySettings_Target__Password = "s3cret"

# SchemaTongs / DataTongs connection
$env:SmithySettings_Source__Server = "myserver"
$env:SmithySettings_Source__Password = "s3cret"

# SchemaQuench connection
export SmithySettings_Target__Server=myserver
export SmithySettings_Target__Password=s3cret

# SchemaTongs / DataTongs connection
export SmithySettings_Source__Server=myserver
export SmithySettings_Source__Password=s3cret

Environment variables are especially useful in CI/CD pipelines and containers where you don't want secrets in files on disk.

Common invocation patterns for the scenarios above. Copy, paste, adjust the server and credential values for your target.

# Run with defaults (settings file in current directory or tool directory)
SchemaQuench

# Custom config file
SchemaQuench --ConfigFile:staging.json

# Custom log directory
SchemaQuench --LogPath:/var/log/quench

# Override connection via environment (macOS / Linux)
export SmithySettings_Target__Server=prod-db
export SmithySettings_Target__User=deploy
export SmithySettings_Target__Password=s3cret
SchemaQuench

# Override connection via CLI (platform-appropriate connection string)
SchemaQuench --ConnectionString:"Host=prod-db;\
    Database=mydb;Username=deploy;Password=s3cret;"

Windows readers: for the PowerShell equivalent of the export block, see Environment Variables.