.net – the correct format for Running Entity Framework migrate.exe tool without a Web/App.config

connection-stringentity-framework-4entity-framework-migrationsnet

We recently switched to Entity Framework data migrations and I am working on some build automation scripts for our MVC app. I can successfully run the migrations from our build server using the migrate.exe tool in 4.3 if I have a Web.config to point it at. The command looks something like:

ProjectName\packages\EntityFramework.4.3.1\tools\migrate.exe MyAssembly
    /startupdirectory:ProjectName\bin\Debug 
    /startupconfigurationfile:ProjectName\Web.config 
    /verbose

However, for various reasons I would like to avoid using the Web.config and just pass in the correct connection string at the time of the migration:

ProjectName\packages\EntityFramework.4.3.1\tools\migrate.exe MyAssembly
    /startupdirectory:ProjectName\bin\Debug 
    /connectionString:"Data Source=awesomeserver;Initial Catalog=awesomedatabase;User Id=funkyuser;Password=crazypassword" 
    /verbose

This does not work. Worse, it crashes migrate.exe with a NullReferenceException. The connection string is identical to the one we use in our Web.config.

Anyone encountered this before? Is my connection string format wrong? Bug?

Best Answer

Ok, we figured it out. When running without the Web.config, the connectionProviderName parameter must also be passed in:

ProjectName\packages\EntityFramework.4.3.1\tools\migrate.exe MyAssembly
    /startupdirectory:ProjectName\bin\Debug 
    /connectionProviderName:"System.Data.SqlClient"
    /connectionString:"Data Source=awesomeserver;Initial Catalog=awesomedatabase;User Id=funkyuser;Password=crazypassword" 
    /verbose

I have confirmed that this works.

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