Entity Framework Code First 4.1

JackHerr · September 14th, 2011, 08:27 PM

I have a question about the new Professional ASP.Net MVC 3 book. Chapter 4âs use of code first Entity Framework assumes, it appears, that I have SQLEXPRESS (p.79). I use instead SQL Server 2008 R2. I checked installed programs and do not have SQL Express. (Last time I installed both I ran into problems.) I have run the program, tried to navigate to StoreManager, and get the following error:

The provider did not return a ProviderManifestToken string.

I have tried manually putting the following connection string in the web.config file:

<add name="MusicStoreDB"
connectionString="data source=.\MSSQLSERVER;Integrated Security=SSPI;initial catalog=MusicStore"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

which is from the book, but using MSSQLSERVER instead of SQLEXPRESS. I have no idea if the string needs to be something else.

Still the same message.

I should note that I did not explicitly download EF 4.1. Could that be the problem? Are there any issues with 4.1? I really don't need it except for the exercise in the book, as I have already developed a comprehensive db for the project (database first).

JackHerr · September 16th, 2011, 04:26 PM

I installed Entity Framework 4.1, Update 1. Reopened the project, and navigated to StoreManager. I continued to get the same problem.

JackHerr · September 16th, 2011, 05:09 PM

I got it to work with the following addition to the web.config file:

Code:

<addname="MusicStoreDB"
connectionString="data source=(local);Integrated Security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=MusicStore"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

meaning that the "data source=(local)" is what did the trick. I added it to, not replace, the other connection string in the web.config. So total connection string was:

Code:

<connectionStrings>
<addname="ApplicationServices"
connectionString="data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|aspnetdb.mdf;User Instance=true"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
<addname="MusicStoreDB"
connectionString="data source=(local);Integrated Security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=MusicStore"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>

JackHerr · September 16th, 2011, 05:15 PM

By the way, as mentioned earlier, I did download and install EF 4.1, Update 1, which I am assuming was also necessary for the example to work, as it is the first version with code first capabilities.

It would be nice if the book errata were updated to specify a connection string for SQLServer 2008 R2 Developers Edition, which (local) satisfied albeit in a very unsatisfying manner.