How should connection strings be managed in an Entity Framework application for different deployment environments?

In an Entity Framework application, connection strings should be managed using configuration files like appsettings.json or web.config for different deployment environments. This approach allows for easy configuration changes without modifying the code, making it more maintainable. Hard-coding connection strings directly in the code is not recommended as it reduces flexibility and security. Storing connection strings in environment variables is a good practice for sensitive information. Using a separate database for each environment can lead to discrepancies between environments and is not recommended for consistency.