Entity Framework connection string not from config

Question

public class Context : DbContext
{
    public Context(string connString) : base(connString) 
    {
        Database.SetInitializer(new MyContextInitializer());
    }
//...

Need to pass a connection string to the context constructor. How should the string look like, for example, for SQL Compact? Tried this, but no success:

Context db = new Context("Provider=System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0;Data Source=D:\\Context.sdf");

Edit:

If I try this string: "Data Source=D:\\Context.sdf"

System.Data.ProviderIncompatibleException was unhandled

Message=An error occurred while getting provider information from the database.
This can be caused by Entity Framework using an incorrect connection string. Check the inner exceptions for details and ensure that the connection string is correct.

Source=EntityFramework

And if I try to mention the provider like this: "Data Source=D:\\Context.sdf;provider=System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0"

System.ArgumentException was unhandled

Message=Keyword not supported: 'provider'.

Source=System.Data

msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb738533.aspx

Kris Ivanov
– Kris Ivanov

2012-03-06 10:57:07 +00:00
Commented Mar 6, 2012 at 10:57 — Kris Ivanov
– Kris Ivanov, Commented Mar 6, 2012 at 10:57
@KrisIvanov, that doesnt work.

Wonder
– Wonder

2012-03-06 11:15:52 +00:00
Commented Mar 6, 2012 at 11:15 — Wonder
– Wonder, Commented Mar 6, 2012 at 11:15
It would help to provide more detail than "no success".

Gert Arnold
– Gert Arnold

2012-03-06 14:16:14 +00:00
Commented Mar 6, 2012 at 14:16 — Gert Arnold
– Gert Arnold, Commented Mar 6, 2012 at 14:16

ryanjones · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-08 17:56:33Z

I had a similar error with MVC 4 code first (while running update-database). The error I was getting:

An error occurred while getting provider information from the database. This can be caused by Entity Framework using an incorrect connection string. Check the inner exceptions for details and ensure that the connection string is correct.

Turns out that I was missing some crucial information in my web.config to get it all working with localDB. Here's the important sections (I used reference material from http://blogs.msdn.com/b/adonet/archive/2012/01/12/ef-4-3-configuration-file-settings.aspx):

<configuration>
  <configSections>
   <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=4.3.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
  </configSections>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="DefaultConnection" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ESTdb-01;Integrated Security=true" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
  </connectionStrings>

  <entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.SqlConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
      <parameters>
        <parameter value="Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0; Integrated Security=True; MultipleActiveResultSets=True" />
      </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
  </entityFramework>
</configuration>

And for good measure, here's my whole web.config (I'm using MVC 4, EF 4.3.1, EF-Migrations):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=4.3.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
  </configSections>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="DefaultConnection" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ESTdb-01;Integrated Security=true" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
  </connectionStrings>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="webpages:Version" value="2.0.0.0" />
    <add key="webpages:Enabled" value="true" />
    <add key="PreserveLoginUrl" value="true" />
    <add key="ClientValidationEnabled" value="true" />
    <add key="UnobtrusiveJavaScriptEnabled" value="true" />
  </appSettings>
  <system.web>
    <compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0" />
    <authentication mode="Forms">
      <forms loginUrl="~/Account/Login" timeout="2880" />
    </authentication>
    <pages>
      <namespaces>
        <add namespace="System.Web.Helpers" />
        <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc" />
        <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Ajax" />
        <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Html" />
        <add namespace="System.Web.Routing" />
        <add namespace="System.Web.WebPages" />
      </namespaces>
    </pages>
    <profile defaultProvider="DefaultProfileProvider">
      <providers>
        <add name="DefaultProfileProvider" type="System.Web.Providers.DefaultProfileProvider, System.Web.Providers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" connectionStringName="DefaultConnection" applicationName="/" />
      </providers>
    </profile>
    <membership defaultProvider="DefaultMembershipProvider">
      <providers>
        <add name="DefaultMembershipProvider" type="System.Web.Providers.DefaultMembershipProvider, System.Web.Providers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" connectionStringName="DefaultConnection" enablePasswordRetrieval="false" enablePasswordReset="true" requiresQuestionAndAnswer="false" requiresUniqueEmail="false" maxInvalidPasswordAttempts="5" minRequiredPasswordLength="6" minRequiredNonalphanumericCharacters="0" passwordAttemptWindow="10" applicationName="/" />
      </providers>
    </membership>
    <roleManager defaultProvider="DefaultRoleProvider">
      <providers>
        <add name="DefaultRoleProvider" type="System.Web.Providers.DefaultRoleProvider, System.Web.Providers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" connectionStringName="DefaultConnection" applicationName="/" />
      </providers>
    </roleManager>
    <sessionState mode="InProc" customProvider="DefaultSessionProvider">
      <providers>
        <add name="DefaultSessionProvider" type="System.Web.Providers.DefaultSessionStateProvider, System.Web.Providers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" connectionStringName="DefaultConnection" applicationName="/" />
      </providers>
    </sessionState>
  </system.web>
  <system.webServer>
    <validation validateIntegratedModeConfiguration="false" />
    <modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true" />
  </system.webServer>
  <runtime>
    <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Helpers" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-2.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Mvc" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-4.0.0.0" newVersion="4.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.WebPages" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-2.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
    </assemblyBinding>
  </runtime>
  <entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.SqlConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
      <parameters>
        <parameter value="Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0; Integrated Security=True; MultipleActiveResultSets=True" />
      </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
  </entityFramework>
</configuration>

So exactly which part(s) are important? Why use a connection string and a default connection factory?
Thanks. It's not working for me still but the effort to make the solution simple was nice.

tanathos · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-06 11:47:31Z

5

I suggest you to use always the EntityConnectionStringBuilder (System.Data.EntityClient):

EntityConnectionStringBuilder ecsb = new EntityConnectionStringBuilder();
ecsb.Provider = "System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0";
ecsb.Metadata = "..."; // your metadata
ecsb.ProviderConnectionString = "Data Source=D:\\Context.sdf";

then you can generate the connection string in a simple way:

Context db = new Context(ecsb.ToString());

UPDATE:

Try to create the EntityConnection, then pass it to the context, instead of connection:

EntityConnection conn = new EntityConnection(ecsb.ToString());
Context db = new Context(conn);

Anyway, where is the metadata? It's required by the EntityConnection!

edited Mar 6, 2012 at 11:47

answered Mar 6, 2012 at 11:25

tanathos

5,6164 gold badges36 silver badges49 bronze badges

2 Comments

Wonder Over a year ago

It generates this string: provider=System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0;provider connection string="Data Source=D:\Context.sdf" and i get Argument Exception: Keyword not supported: 'provider'.

user153923 Over a year ago

Don't know how to do this with the EntityConnectionStringBuilder because all of my connection string settings are in the Web.config file.

Sander · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-24 12:52:30Z

3

In my case (exactly the same error) it was solved by changing the default connection factory:

Database.DefaultConnectionFactory = new SqlCeConnectionFactory("System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0");

Leave out any reference to provider in your connection string because it isn't necessary (this way). I think I read that by default the Database.DefaultConnectionFactory is set to SqlConnectionFactory() but I can't find a reference for that.

answered Apr 24, 2012 at 12:52

Sander

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Comments

Mai · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-07 20:19:31Z

0

I had the same problem and it has been solved by:

1- setting the default project in the manager console to the project that contains the desired web.config

2- setting the startup project for the solution to the same project in order for the update command to find the connection string.

answered Oct 7, 2016 at 20:19

Mai

398 bronze badges

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