Entity Framework Core (EF Core) CLI Commands

Here is a list of essential EF Core CLI commands for managing database migrations in your .NET Core or .NET 5/6 project.

Creating Migrations

dotnet ef migrations add [Name]

• Description: Creates a new migration with the specified name.
• Example:

 dotnet ef migrations add InitialCreate 

Applying Migrations

dotnet ef database update

• Description: Applies pending migrations to update the database schema.
• Example:

 dotnet ef database update

Listing Migrations

dotnet ef migrations list

• Description: Lists all available migrations.
• Example:

dotnet ef migrations list

Removing Migrations

dotnet ef migrations remove

• Description: Removes the last migration file.
• Example:

dotnet ef migrations remove

dotnet ef migrations remove --force (migration name can be pass too)

• Description: Removes the last applied migration and file.
• Example:

dotnet ef migrations remove

Dropping the Database

dotnet ef database drop

• Description: Drops the database.
• Example:

dotnet ef database drop

dotnet ef database drop --force

• Description: Drops the database without asking for confirmation.
• Example:

dotnet ef database drop --force

Scaffolding DbContext and Entity Types

dotnet ef dbcontext scaffold

• Description: Scaffold the DbContext and entity types for an existing database.
• Example:

dotnet ef dbcontext scaffold "Server=YourServer;Database=YourDatabase;User=YourUser;Password=YourPassword;" Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer -o Models

Please note that these commands should be executed from the root directory of your project, and you should have the necessary EF Core tools installed. These commands are vital for managing database migrations when using Entity Framework Core in your project.

Make sure to replace [Name], YourServer, YourDatabase, YourUser, and YourPassword with appropriate values for your specific project and database configuration. Keep in mind that command syntax and options may change with newer versions of EF Core, so always refer to the official documentation or use dotnet ef --help for the most up-to-date information.

Dropping All Migrations

To drop all migrations in Entity Framework Core (EF Core), follow these steps:

1. Delete the Migrations Folder:

   • In your project directory, locate the "Migrations" folder. This folder contains all the migration files.
   • Delete the entire "Migrations" folder and its contents.

2. Remove Migrations from the Database:

   • Open a command prompt or terminal in the root directory of your project.

   • Run the following command to remove all migrations from the database:

     dotnet ef database update 0

   • The 0 in the command specifies the target migration. By setting it to 0, you are effectively rolling back all migrations to the initial state.

After following these steps, all migrations will be removed from both your project and the database, effectively resetting your database to its initial state. Please exercise caution when dropping migrations, as it will result in data loss if your database was previously populated with data from migrations.