Where to Apply the License Key in dotConnect Providers

Where to Apply the License Key in dotConnect Providers

License key usage in dotConnect providers varies depending on the target framework. In .NET Framework projects, licensing is managed automatically during installation, whereas .NET Core and later versions require the license key to be provided at runtime. This article applies to all dotConnect providers.

.NET Framework Projects

In .NET Framework applications, the license key does not need to be entered manually. Activation is handled through the installation of the licensed product. After downloading dotConnect from the Customer Portal and completing the installation, the assemblies function under the purchased license without additional configuration.

.NET Core and .NET 6–9 Projects
In .NET Core and modern .NET projects, the license key must be specified explicitly. The key is provided at runtime through the connection string using the License Key parameter.

Further details and examples are available in the documentation: Licensing for .NET Standard and .NET Core.

Info
Summary
  1. .NET Framework projects: the license key is applied automatically during installation.
  2. .NET Core and later projects: the license key is provided at runtime in the connection string.

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