Set StartUp Project parameter for Entity Framework migrations - entity-framework

Question

When using EF 4.3.1 migrations every time i need to add a migration or update database i have to use the StartUpProject parameter. Can I set this somewhere so I don't have to keep doing this? I don't want to set my data project as the start up project. My context and migrations are in different projects if that makes a difference.
Exception thrown when not using StartpProject parameter:
update-database -verbose
Using NuGet project 'Data.Deployment'.
Using StartUp project ''.
System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.ArgumentException: The parameter is incorrect. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070057 (E_INVALIDARG))
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.RuntimeType.InvokeDispMethod(String name, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Object target, Object[] args, Boolean[] byrefModifiers, Int32 culture, String[] namedParameters)
at System.RuntimeType.InvokeMember(String name, BindingFlags bindingFlags, Binder binder, Object target, Object[] providedArgs, ParameterModifier[] modifiers, CultureInfo culture, String[] namedParams)
at System.Management.Automation.ComMethod.InvokeMethod(PSMethod method, Object[] arguments)
Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.

Answer 1

At least with Entity Framework 6, to specify the Startup Project use the -StartUpProjectName parameter with update-database:
update-database -StartUpProjectName <String>
You can use the get-help command within Package Manager Console to view possible parameters for commands:
get-help update-database -detailed

Answer 2

Use the StartupProject parameter: Update-database -StartupProject "PROJECTNAME"

Answer 3

I'm not sure if this is what you're talking about, but you can set the default project in the Package Manager Console to the project where your Migrations config resides in; it's the rightmost dropdown list.
This way I've never had to provide the startup project as an argument.

Answer 4

A clean way around this is to attach a Test Project to the solution.
Even if you don't want to write lots of unit tests, it's an appropriate start-up project for a data layer namespace or similar.
That makes your start up issue cleaner, the package manager applies to the whole solution IIRC - so make sure the default project is the one with the migrations folder in it.