I couldn't get your example to not work... weird. So I've rewritten your method a little differently, and not for any other reason than a shot in the dark, it does the exact same thing your other one did.
Here's the entire contents of the code behind for Service1.asmx:
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Configuration;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Services;
namespace PatriotGames
{
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for Service1.
/// </summary>
public class Service1 : System.Web.Services.WebService
{
[WebMethod]
public DataSet GetUserTables()
{
string myConnectionString = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings[ "database_connection_string" ];
if( myConnectionString == null || myConnectionString.Length == 0 )
{
throw new ApplicationException( "Connection string was missing or empty." );
}
string cmdText = "SELECT * FROM SYSOBJECTS WHERE TYPE = 'U' AND OBJECTPROPERTY(id,'IsMSShipped') = 0 ORDER BY NAME";
DataSet ds = new DataSet("dsUserTables");
using( SqlConnection myConnection = new SqlConnection( myConnectionString ) )
using( SqlDataAdapter myAdapter = new SqlDataAdapter( cmdText, myConnection ))
{
myAdapter.Fill( ds );
}
return ds;
}
}
}
and here's the entire web config i'm using:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="database_connection_string" value="Persist Security Info=False;Integrated Security=SSPI;database=Pubs;server=DeathAngel"/>
</appSettings>
</configuration>
...but note, i was able to get your example to work as you posted, with no modifications. The site i deployed the webservice is a virtual directory under the localhost site. the localhost has a web.config as does the virtual directory where the web services lives. I am running Windows 2003 Server which may or may not make a difference, I run WindowsXP at work and have noticed some differences. I use a fileshare and not frontpage extensions to access the project from visual studio. Um...I can't think of anything else that could be wrong with your set up though. Can you read anything from your config files(i.e. not through a webservice but just a regular web page)?