Send Feedback
Skip to content

Import/Export Connection Configuration

This page explains how to import and export connection configurations in the kdb Visual Studio Code Extension.

The Import/Export Connection configuration allows you to import and export connection configuration details from the VS Code IDE without having to create them manually.

Import Export

This is useful when:

  • Sharing common connection settings across team members
  • Moving your setup between machines
  • Backing up your configuration
  • Maintaining standardized environments across development, staging, and production

Connections are imported and exported as JSON files.

Important

Credentials (username and password) are never included for security reasons.

Import connections

The import workflow lets you load existing connection definitions into the extension without recreating them manually.

To import a connection:

  1. Open the Command Palette and and search for KX: Import Connections. Alternatively, click the three dots (…) next to the Refresh button in the Connections view on the left-hand side and select Import Connections.
  2. Navigate to the location of the configuration file, such as a JSON file that contains the connection details, and select it.
  3. Review the imported connection settings for accuracy.
  4. Confirm the import.

After the import completes, the connection appears in the Connections list.

Before you can use it, you must supply any required username and password, because credentials are never included in exported files. Once you add the missing authentication details, you can initiate the connection and run a simple query to verify that it works as expected.

Handling name conflicts

If a connection in the import file has the same name as an existing connection, VS Code displays a notification in the bottom right corner prompting you to either duplicate, overwrite, or cancel the import.

  • Duplicate — keep both versions (new one with a modified name)
  • Overwrite — replace the existing configuration
  • Cancel — ignore the imported entry

Export connections

You can export one or multiple connection configurations to a file. This is useful for sharing or backing up your setup.

To export a connection:

  1. Open the Command Palette and and search for KX: Export Connections. Alternatively, click the three dots (…) next to the Refresh button in the Connections view on the left-hand side and select Export Connections.
  2. Select the connection(s) you want to export.
  3. Choose the format. For example, JSON, YAML.
  4. Select the destination folder for the exported configuration file.
  5. Confirm the export action.

To verify the export is successful, navigate to the saved location and open the configuration file to check its contents.

Security considerations

Important

Username and password fields are never exported.

When exporting a connection:

  • The extension strips credentials from the export file. This prevents accidental sharing of sensitive information.
  • When you import a connection later, you will be prompted to re-enter required authentication details (if applicable) to re-establish the connection.

This approach follows security best practices and helps prevent credential leakage.

Next steps