How to get a list of database names from a SQL Server instance using Entity Framework?

Question

I would like to use Entity Framework (EF) to query a SQL Server instance and return a list of database names on that instance.

I can do this using the following code, but wondered if there was a way with EF?

   public static string[] GetDatabaseNames(SqlConnection masterConn)
    {
        List<string> databases = new List<string>();

        //  retrieve the name of all the databases from the sysdatabases table
        using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT [name] FROM sysdatabases", masterConn))
        {
            using (SqlDataReader rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader())
            {
                while (rdr.Read())
                {
                    databases.Add((string)rdr["name"]);
                }
            }
        }

        return databases.ToArray();
    }

I should mention that I am new to EF and its capabilities / limitations.

Charlieface · Accepted Answer · 2022-07-13 15:00:23Z

8

You could simply send a raw query to your SQL Server through Entity Framework :

using (var context = new MyContext()) 
{ 
    var dbNames = context.Database.SqlQuery<string>(
        "SELECT name FROM sys.databases").ToList(); 
}

Sources : https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj592907(v=vs.113).aspx and https://stackoverflow.com/a/147662/2699126

edited Jul 13, 2022 at 15:00

Charlieface

78.3k8 gold badges35 silver badges76 bronze badges

answered Jan 24, 2018 at 9:32

Atlasmaybe

1,55911 silver badges27 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Dakota · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-24 09:51:25Z

1

You create view in SQL database

CREATE VIEW [dbo].[SysDatabasesView] AS SELECT * FROM sys.databases

then add this object into edmx

answered Jan 24, 2018 at 9:51

Dakota

5252 silver badges10 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to get a list of database names from a SQL Server instance using Entity Framework?

2 Answers 2

Comments

Comments

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

Comments

Comments

Linked

Related