How do I load Nuget packages that a custom DLL depends on? - entity-framework

Question

I'm developing a Function App via the Portal (not local development). I have a custom DLL that depends on 1 nuget package: Entity Framework 6.1.3
I have uploaded my DLL to "../bin" and my code compiles successfully when I reference my DbContext object. So far, so good.
I also have a Project.json file and I see it acquiring the nuget packages when I save. So far, so good.
{
"frameworks": {
"net46":{
"dependencies": {
"EntityFramework": "6.1.3"
}
}
}
}
My Run.csx code compiles successfully and looks like this:
#r "../bin/Library.dll"
using System;
public static void Run(TimerInfo myTimer, TraceWriter log)
{
log.Info("My code: Started");
log.Info(typeof(Library.MyContext).ToString());
}
However, the code doesn't actually run (I don't even see the "My code: Started" log item). The error I receive is:
2017-02-27T06:37:28.731 Exception while executing function:
Functions.TimerTriggerCSharp1. mscorlib: Exception has been thrown by
the target of an invocation. f-TimerTriggerCSharp1__-205940111: Could
not load file or assembly 'EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0,
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' or one of its
dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
My custom DLL is the simplest possible EF-referencing DLL I can possibly make. All you need to recreate it is this:
Custom DLL packages.config:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<packages>
<package id="EntityFramework" version="6.1.3" targetFramework="net46" />
</packages>
Custom DLL Class1.cs
using System.Data.Entity;
namespace Library
{
public class MyContext : DbContext
{
}
}
What am I doing wrong that is keeping my custom DLL from being able to utilize the downloaded EntityFramework nuget package?
Just to verify that my nuget references are actually working, if I comment out most of my Run.csx code and replace it with this line, all executes correctly and logs what you would expect:
log.Info($"My code: {typeof(System.Data.Entity.DbContext).ToString()}");
As somebody suggested, I have tried changing my Run.csx references to look like this and it doesn't change the runtime error I get (it does compile so the path is correct):
#r "../../../data/Functions/packages/nuget/entityframework/6.1.3/lib/net45/EntityFramework.dll"
#r "../bin/My.dll"
I can also change my Run.csx file to contain this code and it does successfully execute:
using System;
public static void Run(TimerInfo myTimer, TraceWriter log)
{
log.Info(typeof(MyContext).ToString());
}
public class MyContext : System.Data.Entity.DbContext
{
}

Answer 1

In order to consume the assemblies coming from your referenced packages, you can deploy your custom dependency as a private assembly:
Deploy the assembly into a bin folder, in your function folder (e.g. wwwroot\myfunction\bin)
Reference the assembly without the relative path, by file name only (e.g. Library.dll)
If you wish to use shared assemblies, deployed to a common location and referenced as you have above, you'd need to deploy the assembly with its dependencies (essentially the output from your project build).
Another option that I would recommend if you want to take advantage of the shared model is to deploy your dependency as a NuGet package (which you can deploy to either a custom source hosted somewhere or as a file), that package would then specify its package dependencies and they would all be resolved automatically.

Answer 2

Looks like configuration problem, you need to define the reference in the project file to be copied to output.
In the Solution Explorer, expand the project, References, right click the EntityFramework, Properties, Set Copy Local = true.
Sometimes the default value is false, so then it will not in the output folder of the project.
I hope this helps.