Role of appsettings.json, appsettings.Development.json, etc.?

Short answer: appsettings.json: Base configuration file used across all environments. appsettings.{Environment}.json: Environment-specific overrides (e.g., Development, Production). 🔧 ASP.NET Core loads them automatically based on the environment: ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Development ✅ Loaded in order of precedence, where later files override earlier ones.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.