WPF using LocalDB doesn't deploy correctly - deployment

I've written a program that uses Code First with LocalDB to store data. After using Click Once to deploy, the application doesn't create the LocalDB in production. I've tried all of the Database Initializers, and the app just errors out saying that no tables actually exist.
I'm assuming that there is something simple that I'm missing, but all the articles I find seem to refer to using SQL Express.
Edit
May be related to EF 6.1.1. I've tried downgrading to 5 and it appears to be working, but I'm not done testing yet.

Downgrading EF from 6.1.1 to 5.0.0 has resolved this issue. I can only assume that this is a bug in 6.1.1.

Related

VS2012 and Entity Framework 6.1.3 compatibility

I am using VS2012 and trying to run a code I have received from a colleague (who happens to use VS2013). He is using EF (v 6.1.3) Code-First New Database approach.
Now I am trying to enable the migrations to create the database, but Package Manager Console is unable to identify Enable-Migrations code.
Below is the error I receive (please click the image to enlarge)
I have installed EF Tools for VS2012, but that does't resolve the issue. Even Microsoft tells that it can only resolve EF Code-First Existing Database problems.
I don't know if I have to rollback Microsoft.NETCore.Platforms v1.1.0 to a previous version.
Any help on this is appreciated.
Edit
Error tells that I need a newer Nuget version, but VS2012 doesn't support Nuget v2.12

Visual Studio Ultimate 2013 crashes when using Entity Framework Power Tools Beta 4

I'm running VS Ultimate 2013 on a Windows 8.1 machine and have been successfully for several months now. However, I just installed the NuGet package for Entity Framework Power Tools Beta 4 today and am having issues. After installing EFPT, I restarted VS, loaded my solution, made my "data" project the startup project, right-clicked on my class deriving from DbContext -> Entity Framework -> Generate Views. Visual Studio completely crashes and restarts. I've tried clicking on other options in in the EFPT context menu such as "View Entity Data Model (read-only)" and all of them results in VS completely crashing and restarting.
I was running VS with Update 3, so I installed Update 4 and still the same issue. It does NOT crash if running devenv.exe in safemode, but EFPT doesn't actually DO anything either.
So now, I'm running VS version 12.0.31101.00 Update 4 with .NET Fx 4.5.51641 and Entity Framework 6.1.2.
Ultimately, I'm trying to create a EDM mapping file for my code-first EF context to cache and reduce startup time. If this issue I'm having is a known issue, is there a fix OR a workaround in generating this mapping???
Thank you Erik. I wanted to answer my own question because I was able to take it a step further. Rather than writing (a LOT) of code to generate cached views and having to run it every time your code changes.
A dev on the SignalR team at Microsoft, Pawel Kadluczka, wrote a nice and EASY-TO-USE bit of code that can be installed via NuGet. The "Interactive Pre-Generated Views" project, when added to your data assembly, will look for cached views and if not found, generate them on the fly. Out of the box, it supports both file and db cached view info.
The only bit of code I had to add to utilize this was:
static DynamicDbContext()
{
InteractiveViews.SetViewCacheFactory(new DynamicDbContext(), new FileViewCacheFactory(_SCRIPT_DIRECTORY + "dbviews.xml"));
}
It literally took me 5 minutes to install, write the bit of code, execute and confirm.
It needs to run prior to any query being executed with your dbcontext and so he recommends this bit of code to be placed in a static ctor of your custom dbContext.
Pawel's blog post where he describes it is: http://blog.3d-logic.com/2013/12/14/using-pre-generated-views-without-having-to-pre-generate-views-ef6/
You can install via NuGet or read more about it on CodePlex: https://efinteractiveviews.codeplex.com/

EF 4.3.1 Migration - how to downgrade a production database?

I have been looking at how to produce a downgrade in EF 4.3.1 Migrations, and all I have found is only about scripting (like this EF 4.3 Migration - how to produce a downgrade script?)
To upgrade my user's production database I call the method MigrateDatabaseToLatestVersion<TContext, TMigrationsConfiguration>
upon application startup, so I make sure that all users have the same database schema after they install a new version of my app. I don't need to run any scripts on the client side once the migrations are configured.
What happens if I want to downgrade to a different version? It seems quite obvious that this method only moves Up until it reaches the latest migration... is there something like MigrateDatabaseToVersion<TContext, TMigrationsConfiguration, DbMigration> where the DbMigration object is the target migration?
Can I avoid running a SQL script if I want to downgrade a production database?
Thanks guys!
You could use the migrate.exe tool which comes with EF to go to specific migrations.
Migrate.exe MyApp.exe /startupConfigurationFile=”MyApp.exe.config” /targetMigration=”myTargetMigration”
Docs can be found at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/data/jj618307.aspx
Edit: How to use a connection string
Migrate.exe whereYourMigrationsAre.dll /connectionString=”Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=blah;whatever else you want to set” /connectionProviderName=”System.Data.SqlClient”

When SQL isn't explicitly installed what is the default data store Visual Studio 2012 and/or Entity Framework 5/6?

I have the situation below and can't figure out where everything is being saved.
I'm using a new installation of Visual Studio 2012 and didn't explicitly install any version of SQL. I created a Console project in VS and used NuGet to add references to the latest -Pre version of EF (6.0.1 at the time).
When I did the database operations I wanted (just some test stuff: create, add, query, migrations, etc.) everything worked. Shutdown the application, bring it back up and the data was persisted correctly. No problem so far.
When I went to look at the database I was surprised to find that I didn't have Management Studio installed. I also wasn't able to see any databases in the SQL Server Object Explorer in VS2012. I could see a "(localdb)\Projects" server but my database wasn't in it.
When I checked the generated connection string it was:
Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=TestProject.Context;Integrated Security=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=True
Using add server in the SQL Server Object Explorer I had to manually enter server names since none were found automatically. I tried localhost\SQLEXPRESS, (localdb)\SQLSERVER, .\SQLEXPRESS, and other similar variants, but those couldn't be found either.
Where is everything being saved?
Thanks.
If SqlExpress is not installed the default is (localdb)\v11.0 which is installed when you install VS2012 (or VS2013).

Entity Framework Power Tools error when using Reverse Engineer Code First

I have a Sql Server 2012 database that I am trying to generate the Code First POCOs/Mappings in Visual Studio 2012 SP1 using the Reverse Engineer Code First option of EF Power Tools 2.
After setting the connection properties, the following error is generated. I have researched the web but with no luck on how to resolve this. Any help would be appreciated.
Compiling transformation: The type or namespace name
'EfTextTemplateHost' could not be found (are you missing a using
directive or an assembly reference?)
EDIT:
EF Power Tools Beta 3 shipped today and the issue should be now fixed
You will see this exception if you try using EF Power Tools after installing VS 2012 Update1. Rowan's response on EF Team blog (in the comments, towards the bottom of the page) reads:
As a workaround to this issue you can edit Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\Extensions\Microsoft\Entity Framework Tools\Templates\Includes\EF.Utility.CS.ttinclude and remove the first line (<## CleanupBehavior Processor="T4VSHost" CleanupAfterProcessingTemplate="true" #>).
The only side effect of doing this is that the EF Designer will use more virtual memory when you create and edit models. On most computers this isn't a problem.
We are working on shipping a new version of EF Power Tools which will include a fix for this problem.
EDIT:
Rowan's blog contains more details on how to manually work around the issue if you still hitting it even though you have Power Tools Beta 3 installed.
Try to use this plugin
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=456117cf53a42144&id=456117CF53A42144%21388
(however it's not signed)
Someone complained # MSDN that Power tools is screwed (actually whole EF is a mess).
After you install this one, when VS prompts you for database information click on "Advanced" and set Persist Security Info to True.
Should work
EF still got a crapload of bugs, avoid using it for critical environments. Don't even think about EF5.