Entity Framework 6 with SQLite 3 Code First - Won't create tables

Question

Using latest versions of EF6 and SQLite from NuGet. I finally got the app.config file to work after some useful posts on Stackoverflow. Now the problem is that the tables are not being created although the database is.

My app.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <!-- For more information on Entity Framework configuration, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=237468 -->
    <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
  </configSections>
  <startup>
    <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5" />
  </startup>
  <entityFramework>
    <providers>
      <provider invariantName="System.Data.SQLite"
                type="System.Data.SQLite.EF6.SQLiteProviderServices, System.Data.SQLite.EF6" />
    </providers>
  </entityFramework>
  <system.data>
    <DbProviderFactories>
      <remove invariant="System.Data.SQLite" />
      <add name="SQLite Data Provider"
           invariant="System.Data.SQLite"
           description=".Net Framework Data Provider for SQLite"
           type="System.Data.SQLite.SQLiteFactory, System.Data.SQLite" />
      <remove invariant="System.Data.SQLite.EF6" />
      <add name="SQLite Data Provider (Entity Framework 6)"
           invariant="System.Data.SQLite.EF6"
           description=".Net Framework Data Provider for SQLite (Entity Framework 6)"
           type="System.Data.SQLite.EF6.SQLiteProviderFactory, System.Data.SQLite.EF6" />
    </DbProviderFactories>
  </system.data>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="MyDBContext"
          connectionString="Data Source=|DataDirectory|MyDB.sqlite"
          providerName="System.Data.SQLite" />
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

My simple test program:

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        using (var db = new MyDBContext())
        {
            db.Notes.Add(new Note { Text = "Hello, world" });
            db.Notes.Add(new Note { Text = "A second note" });
            db.Notes.Add(new Note { Text = "F Sharp" });
            db.SaveChanges();
        }

        using (var db = new MyDBContext())
        {
            foreach (var note in db.Notes)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Note {0} = {1}", note.NoteId, note.Text);
            }
        }

        Console.Write("Press any key . . . ");
        Console.ReadKey();
    }

    public class Note
    {
        public long NoteId { get; set; }
        public string Text { get; set; }
    }

    public class MyDBContext : DbContext
    {
        // default constructor should do this automatically but fails in this case
        public MyDBContext()
            : base("MyDBContext")
        {

        }
        public DbSet<Note> Notes { get; set; }

        protected override void OnModelCreating(DbModelBuilder modelBuilder)
        {
            modelBuilder.Conventions.Remove<PluralizingTableNameConvention>();
        }
    }
}

If I create the table manually the program works fine and the table is updated. If I delete the database, EF creates it but doesn't create the table and the program fails when it attempts to read back the data with an error message that the table does not exist.

Has anyone managed to get Code First working with EF6 yet? Would appreciate help/guidance on this as I'm now completely stuck!!!

Thanks all.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, the EF6 provider implementation in System.Data.SQLite.EF6 doesn't support creating tables. I downloaded the SQLite source code to have a look but couldn't find anything for creating tables and for migrations. The EF6 provider is basically the same as their Linq implementation so it's all aimed at querying the database rather than modifying it.

I currently do all of my work with SQL Server and generate sql scripts for SQLite using the SQL Server Compact & SQLite Toolbox. The scripts can then be run using an SQLiteCommand to simulate migrations.

Update

In EF7 support for SQL server compact has been dropped and a new provider for SQLite is being developed by the EF team. The provider will use Microsoft's managed SQLite wrapper project, Microsoft.Data.SQLite rather than the System.Data.SQLite project. This will also allow for using EF7 on iOS, Android, Windows Phone / Mobile, Linux, Mac etc. as Microsoft's wrapper is being developed as a portable library.

It's all still in beta but you can get nuget packages from the ASP.Net development feeds at MyGet (dev, master, release) if you wish to have a look. Look for the EntityFramework.SQLite package.