Controlling Database

Creation and Schema

Changes with Migrations

Julie Lerman
EF Core Expert and Software Coach

@julielerman | thedatafarm.com
 Module Overview of EF Core Migrations API
Overview Setting up your project and Visual Studio
for migrations
Create and inspect a migration file
Using EF Core Migrations to create a
database or database scripts
Reverse engineer an existing database into
classes and DbContext
Understanding EF Core Migrations
EF Core Needs to Comprehend the DB Schema

Build SQL from Materialize query Build SQL to save

your LINQ queries results into objects data into database
Mapping Your Data Model to the Database

+
DbContext Conventional and Database schema
custom mappings
Mapping knowledge can
also be used to evolve the
database schema.
EF Core Basic Migrations Workflow

Define/Change Create a Apply Migration

Model Migration File to DB or Script
Source-control friendly
Getting and Understanding the
Design-Time Migrations Tools
Creating and executing
migrations happens at
design time
Migration Commands Lead to Migrations APIs

PowerShell dotnet CLI

migrations commands migrations commands
add-migration dotnet ef migrations add

Command logic

Migrations APIs
 Migration Commands Lead to Migrations APIs

PowerShell dotnet CLI

migrations commands migrations commands
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools dotnet tool install dotnet-ef

Command logic
Tools depends on Design Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design

Design depends on Relational Migrations APIs

Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Relational
Bottom Line

• Add Tools package to project • Install the tools on your system

• Design comes for “free” • Design package in your project

Visual Studio (Windows) Command Line

 Check IDE changes

The executable project

Which Project
Gets the Tools?
Getting the Package Manager Console
Ready to Use Migrations
Using Migrations in Visual Studio
When EF Core Is in a Class Library Project
Install Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools package into
executable project (e.g., console)

Ensure the executable project is the startup project

Set Package Manager Console (PMC) “default project” to class

library with EF Core (e.g., data)

Run EF Core Migration PowerShell commands in PMC

Using Migrations in dotnet CLI

Add EF Use
Add EF Core tools Core Design** “dotnet ef”
to system* package to commands at
executable project command line

*Command to install: dotnet tool install –global dotnet-ef

**Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design
Adding Your First Migration
Add-Migration Tasks for Initial Schema

Create a migration file

Read DbContext and
describing how to construct
determine data model
the database schema
Inspecting Your First Migration
Add-Migration Tasks for Model Changes

Read DbContext to
determine data model

Create updated Compare data model to

snapshot file snapshot

Generate migration file

to apply the deltas
For EF 6 users:
EF Core migrations is orders
of magnitude easier to use
in source control
Some EF Core Mapping Conventions (Defaults)

DbSet name is the table name

Class property name is the column name

Strings are determined by provider

e.g., SQL Server: nvarchar(max)

Decimals are determined by provider

e.g., SQL Server: decimal(18,2)

“Id” or “[type]Id” are primary keys

Maps Strings to Non-Nullable Columns by Default

SQL Server SQLite

Using Migrations to Script or Directly
Create the Database
Applying Migrations

Migration File
Applying Migrations

Migration File

Update-Database

Script-Migration
Applying Migrations Directly to the Database

Migration File

Update-Database

• Reads migration file

• Generates SQL in memory
• Creates the database if needed
• Runs SQL on the database

CLI: dotnet ef database update

Applying Migrations into a SQL Script

Migration File
• Reads migration file
• Generates SQL
• Default: Displays SQL in editor
• Use parameters to target file name etc.

Script-Migration

CLI: dotnet ef migrations script

 Migrations Recommendation

Development database Production database

update-database script-migration
We will create a fresh
database in this module.
 What If Database Does Not Exist?

update-database script-migration
API’s internal code will create the database You must create the database before
before executing migration code running the script
Seeding a Database via Migrations
modelBuilder.Entity<EntityType>().HasData(parameters)

modelBuilder.Entity<Author>().HasData(new Author {Id=1, FirstName=“Julie”, .. };

Specify Seed Data with ModelBuilder HasData Method

Provide all non-nullable parameters including keys and foreign keys
HasData will get translated into migrations
Inserts will get interpreted into SQL
Data will get inserted when migrations are executed
Add-Migration Tasks for Model Changes

Read DbContext to
determine data model
...and any seeding code

Create updated Compare data model to

snapshot file snapshot
...and seeding instructions

Generate migration file

to apply the deltas
Seeding with HasData will
not cover all use cases for
seeding
Use Cases for Seeding with HasData

Mostly static seed data Sole means of seeding

No dependency on anything Provide test data with a

else in the database consistent starting point
HasData will also be
recognized and applied by
EnsureCreated().
Scripting Multiple Migrations
Scripting migrations
requires more control, so it
works differently than
update-database.
Some Scripting Options

script-migration script-migration
script-migration
-idempotent FROM TO

Default: Scripts every Scripts all migrations FROM: Specifies last

migration but checks for each migration run, so start
object first e.g., table at the next one
already exists TO: final one to apply
Reverse Engineering an Existing
Database
Scaffolding Builds DbContext and Entity Classes
Creates Entities from Discovered Database Objects

Tables Views
Reverse Engineer with the Scaffold Command

EF Core CLI
PowerShell
dotnet ef dbcontext
Scaffold-DbContext
scaffold
Scaffolding Limitations

Updating model when Transition to migrations is not

database changes is not pretty. Look for helpful link in
currently supported resources
The Many Parameters of scaffold-dbcontext
EF Core Power Tools for Visual Reverse Engineering

VS extension: ErikEJ.EFCorePowerTools
Free
Open-source
(github.com/ErikEJ/EFCorePowerTools)
Built and maintained by Erik Ejlskov Jensen
Many more features besides reverse engineer
How EF Core Determines Mappings to DB

Override with Override with

Conventions Fluent Mappings Data Annotations
Default assumptions Apply in DbContext
Apply in entity
using Fluent API

property name=column name modelBuilder.Entity<Book>() [Column(“MainTitle")]

.Property(b => b.Title) public string Title{get;set;}
.HasColumnName(“MainTitle");
Scaffolding

Scaffolded classes are a “stake in the ground” to get you started

You can refactor to incorporate your business logic

There is a lot of flexibility and even other tools

 Workflow of how EF Core determines
database schema

Review Where Migrations API and tools fit in

PowerShell or CLI commands for
creating and executing migrations
Created and explored a migrations file
Used migrations commands to generate
script or create a new database directly
Reverse engineer existing database into
classes and DbContext
Up Next:

Defining One-to-Many Relationships

Resources

Entity Framework Core on GitHub: github.com/dotnet/efcore

EF Core Tools Documentation: docs.microsoft.com/ef/core/cli/

EF Core Power Tools Extension (model visualizer, scaffold and more):

https://github.com/ErikEJ/EFCorePowerTools
Resources Cont.

EF Core migrations with existing database schema: cmatskas.com/ef-core-

migrations-with-existing-database-schema-and-data

Scott Hanselman “Magic Unicorn” blog post:

hanselman.com/blog/entity-framework-magic-unicorn-and-much-more-is-now-
open-source-with-take-backs