What is Configuration in ASP.NET Core and how does it work?

ASP.NET Core uses a flexible, layered configuration system where multiple providers are combined to produce the final configuration.

Common sources include:

• appsettings.json and appsettings.{Environment}.json
• Environment variables
• Command-line arguments
• User Secrets and Azure Key Vault
• In-memory configuration

Later providers override earlier ones, enabling environment-specific overrides and secure storage of secrets. Configuration values can be bound directly to strongly typed options classes.