# ConnectionStringReference

- Kind: `class`
- Package: [Aspire.Hosting](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting.md)
- Version: `13.3.0`
- Namespace: `Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel`
- Target framework: `net8.0`
- Source: [GitHub](https://github.com/microsoft/aspire/blob/bd20f904cde09ecb9c9ae5116a6f13614bf2d7c2/src/Aspire.Hosting/ApplicationModel/ConnectionStringReference.cs)
- Implements: [IExpressionValue](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/iexpressionvalue.md), [IManifestExpressionProvider](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/imanifestexpressionprovider.md), [IValueProvider](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/ivalueprovider.md), [IValueWithReferences](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/ivaluewithreferences.md)

Represents a reference to a connection string.

## Definition

```csharp
namespace Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel;

public class ConnectionStringReference
    : Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.IExpressionValue,
      Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.IManifestExpressionProvider,
      Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.IValueProvider,
      Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.IValueWithReferences
{
    // ...
}
```

## Constructors

- [ConnectionStringReference(IResourceWithConnectionString, bool)](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/connectionstringreference/constructors.md#constructor-iresourcewithconnectionstring-bool) -- Represents a reference to a connection string.

## Properties

- [Optional](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/connectionstringreference/properties.md#optional) : `bool` `get` -- A flag indicating whether the connection string is optional.
- [Resource](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/connectionstringreference/properties.md#resource) : [IResourceWithConnectionString](/reference/api/csharp/aspire.hosting/iresourcewithconnectionstring.md) `get` -- The resource that the connection string is referencing.