Don't hard-code endpoint URL, allow to provide that form web.config

Is there a way to provide endpoint URL from app.config (or other config method) rather than hard-coding the value?

Here is the scenario: I’m developing API and a client for that API. API will be deployed to Azure API Apps, Client will be a WebApp (MVC application). I would like to be able to run both API and a client locally for development phase. Not a problem, I run API locally, point code generator to the local endpoint, get the models created for me - bang! Then I publish API to Azure, I need to update the URL in the generated code on the client. But if I forget to change the endpoint URL on the client, I get into trouble for using http://localhost:5555 when the client app is deployed in Azure. So it would be good if I could specify a way to store the endpoint URL in web.config and on publish stage I could overwrite it for the real endpoint.

I can always change the URL myself and take it from web.config, but it’ll be overwritten on the next code generation…

[stankovski]

You can pass -useDateTimeOffset flag to AutoRest.exe or even specify it in x-ms-code-generation-setting extension.

[devigned]

I think DateTimeOffset would be a better choice

Please create an issue and request the enhancement. It sounds like a good idea and one I’d like to get the rest of the team’s feedback on.

I’ll try the extension settings next. It’s actually a lot more fluid to use autorest and set it up as part of the build, than to use the visual studio menu option for generating…

@bradygaster and @mlorbetske, any thoughts on this?