Database first create entity framework 6.1.1 model using system.data.sqlite 1.0.93

Question

I have a project that I just updated using nuget. This updated entity framework from 6.1 to 6.1.1, and it updated sqlite to 1.0.93. I wanted to update my model from my latest database. I did the steps of 1) Model from Database 2) Select sqlite database 3) Generate

After the generation I received the following error message shown below. I have the 1.0.93 design time components install. Does anyone know what exactly is causing this error. The project references and versions all match the versions shown above.

Error Message:

Your project references the latest Entity Framework; however and Entity Framework database provider compatible with this version could not be found for you data connection.

Update:

I ended up installing 6.1.0 manually using the package manager console

Install-Package EntityFramework -Version 6.1.0

Then in my csporj files replacing

packages\EntityFramework.6.1.1

with

packages\EntityFramework.6.1.0

I tried creating EF Designer from Database and Code First from Database but I am still getting the same error.

UPDATE

I have followed the instructions Tom has provided, and thanks time for taking the time to respond in depth it is appreciated. But I cannot get the entity framework designer to work with SQLite 1.0.93. What I have found:

1) When I add the SQLite data source from the tools menu as Tom describes I see the SQLite data provider.

2) But when I restart visual studio the data source is not connected

3) The data source can be refreshed and it is valid after restart

4) Add new data item but SQLite is not listed as a provider

I have double checked the registry and EF6 is appended to the invariant name, the SQLite dlls are registered in the GAC. I will try to see what else I can find but at this point I am not sure what to look for. As a side note I have tried dotConnect and it does not work either with EF 6.1.1.

Update 2

Does anyone know if the Entity Framework Designer has a logging option to find out what might be happening?

Answer 1

[ UPDATE : for an easier solution that works with Visual Studio 2013 Update 4 (Pro and Ultimate) and recent versions of Sqlite Providers and EF, look at the solution 'broslav' posted below. Don't know if it works with Express editions... ]

Ok, this is a suggestion. This does NOT work for Visual Studio Express editions. Also, I'm not sure how to get it to work for an update of an existing project. And it is an absolute pain in the butt. I haven't tested if everything is required, but this should work:

First, do NOT use the NuGet package for SQLite, but download the assembly installer from here: http://system.data.sqlite.org/index.html/doc/trunk/www/downloads.wiki

Install the Setups for 32-bit Windows (.NET Framework 4.5.1) installer: sqlite-netFx451-setup-bundle-x86-2013-1.0.93.0.exe (10.00 MiB) (NOT the 64-bit version). This is the only one with the designer.

Install and select to install in the GAC and install the Designer for VS13.

For the following, the exact order is important!

I made a video of these steps, see: http://vimeo.com/103372740

Create a project in VS13. Target the build to framework 4.5.1 and x86 explicitly. Save and build.

Next, install the latest EF 6 package (6.1.1) from NuGet. Save and build.

Manually add references to the installed SQLite assemblies (including the Designer) , under the Reference Manager under Assemblies you can find the Extensions option for selecting the four added assemblies in the GAC : System.Data.SQLite Core + Designer + for Entity Framework + for LINQ.. Save and build.

Then create a connection to your database via Connect to Database under Tools. Before you do anything else Save and Build and then RESTART Visual Studio. DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE before starting the ADO.NET Entity Data Model wizard, so DO NOT refresh the database connection.

Add an ADO.NET Entity Data Model, select Generate from Database. Your database connection will show up in the drop-down list. Keep it there, but select to create a New Connection anyway and select the exact same database again (as if you are creating a new connection). It sounds silly, but it is crucial, see image below...

When I actually Added an ADO.NET Entity Data Model this way it did present the annoying error, but the Next button is selectable and everything worked regardless (amazingly)!

Designer works, retrieving data and writing data works.

Haven't tested deployment on another machine though... I'm using Win7 64-bit.

CHANGED UPDATE: To get the correct configuration to actually access the database, you have to install the System.Data.SQLite.EF6 package from NuGet after doing all of the above, then add <provider invariantName="System.Data.SQLite" type="System.Data.SQLite.EF6.SQLiteProviderServices, System.Data.SQLite.EF6" /> to the App.Config and remove the other providers and remove everything in between <system.data></system.data>, otherwise you'll get some exception. But note that this means that every time you want to update the EDMX model, you have to change the App.Config invariantName="System.Data.SQLite" to invariantName="System.Data.SQLite.EF6" and vice versa.

** Is this getting ridiculous? Yes, it is! And it gave me quite a headache... **

Answer 2

This is what worked for me:

• had Windows 8.1 Pro x64
• had VisualStudio 2013 Ultimate Update 4
• installed http://system.data.sqlite.org/downloads/1.0.94.0/sqlite-netFx451-setup-bundle-x86-2013-1.0.94.0.exe (in GAC, plus designer)
• installed EFTools6.1.2ForVS2013.msi from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40762
• in old or new solution/project that targets .NET 4.5.1 and Any CPU installed via NuGet package System.Data.SQLite
• added new model from database (I did not see the SQLite provider here until I installed the NuGet package inside the project)
• to actually access the data, I had to rearrange the add and remove items inside the DbProviderFactories tag in the app.config

So the packages I had were:

    <packages>
      <package id="EntityFramework" version="6.1.1" targetFramework="net451" />
      <package id="System.Data.SQLite" version="1.0.94.1" targetFramework="net451" />
      <package id="System.Data.SQLite.Core" version="1.0.94.0" targetFramework="net451" />
      <package id="System.Data.SQLite.EF6" version="1.0.94.0" targetFramework="net451" />
      <package id="System.Data.SQLite.Linq" version="1.0.94.1" targetFramework="net451" />
    </packages>

and the app.config that worked for me had contents:

<?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>
  <entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.LocalDbConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
      <parameters>
        <parameter value="mssqllocaldb" />
      </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
    <providers>
      <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
      <provider invariantName="System.Data.SQLite.EF6" type="System.Data.SQLite.EF6.SQLiteProviderServices, System.Data.SQLite.EF6" />
    </providers>
  </entityFramework>
  <system.diagnostics>
    <sources>
      <!-- This section defines the logging configuration for My.Application.Log -->
      <source name="DefaultSource" switchName="DefaultSwitch">
        <listeners>
          <add name="FileLog" />
          <!-- Uncomment the below section to write to the Application Event Log -->
          <!--<add name="EventLog"/>-->
        </listeners>
      </source>
    </sources>
    <switches>
      <add name="DefaultSwitch" value="Information" />
    </switches>
    <sharedListeners>
      <add name="FileLog" type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.Logging.FileLogTraceListener, Microsoft.VisualBasic, Version=8.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL" initializeData="FileLogWriter" />
      <!-- Uncomment the below section and replace APPLICATION_NAME with the name of your application to write to the Application Event Log -->
      <!--<add name="EventLog" type="System.Diagnostics.EventLogTraceListener" initializeData="APPLICATION_NAME"/> -->
    </sharedListeners>
  </system.diagnostics>
  <startup>
    <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.1" />
  </startup>
  <system.data>
    <!--
        NOTE: The extra "remove" element below is to prevent the design-time
              support components within EF6 from selecting the legacy ADO.NET
              provider for SQLite (i.e. the one without any EF6 support).  It
              appears to only consider the first ADO.NET provider in the list
              within the resulting "app.config" or "web.config" file.
    -->
    <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="WorkinDataEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/WorkinDataModel.csdl|res://*/WorkinDataModel.ssdl|res://*/WorkinDataModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SQLite.EF6;provider connection string=&quot;data source=X:\dev\proj\workin\bin\data.db&quot;" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

As you can see, somehow in the end, for me, it was not necessary to remove "EF6" from invariantName or to remove or rearrange other providers or default connection factories. I didn't have to do any reg hacks. Rearranging add/remove tags (that were added during NuGet System.Data.SQLite 1.0.94.1 package installation) in the start-up project's app.config made the difference.

After all the above, I updated EntityFramework to 6.1.2 via NuGet and both updating the model from database via designer and accessing the data at runtime still works.

Answer 3

I finally have steps to consistently add Sqlite and EF6 to a project:

EF6: versions 6.0.0 to be 6.1.3 (currently the latest version). System.Data.Sqlite: 1.0.93 - 1.0.95 but not 1.0.98 (currently the latest version).

To avoid getting System.Data.Sqlite 1.0.98 , do not install using Nuget Package manager. Manually install System.Data.Sqlite. Unfortunately, http://system.data.sqlite.org/ does not readily list previous downloads.

x86 System.Data.Sqlite 1.093

x64 System.Data.Sqlite 1.093

I use Nuget Package manager and install EF6 and then I manually added System.Data.Sqlite library. I have tried multiple times to use 1.0.98 but I cannot

App.config File

For my implementation, I am working with database first an manually coding the entity data classes

 public partial class MyDbContextEF : DbContext
{
    public MyDbContext() : base("name=MyDbContext") { }

    public DbSet<DataRecord> DataRecords { get; set; }
}

[Table("TableName")]
public class DataRecord
{
    [Key]
    public Int64 RowID { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

Answer 4

I reported this issue and a fix is under way, and a workaround appears to be available (I have not tested it) http://system.data.sqlite.org/index.html/tktview?name=e634e330a6

Answer 5

I had the exact same problem--The model designer wizard was not showing my sqlite db in the dropdown list. I was able to resolve it by fiddling with the sqlite db connection and tables.

0a) I added a connection through the Server Explorer to my sqlite file (the sqlite providers and servers showed in new connection wizard for the Server Explorer but not my edmx Model Wizard) 0b) At this point it was not showing in the edmx Model Wizard still, but did show as a Data Connection in the Server Explorer. 1) I added a table to the sqlite file. 2) I closed the connection to the sqlite db through the Server Explorer 3) I opened the design of my dummy table om the sqlite file through the Server Explorer (thus reinitiating the connection) 4) I tried to "Update Model from Database..." and it was showing in the dropdown list

Another step I did not include above was I created and deleted an .mdf SQL server database New Item... > Database Service.... I did that shortly before trying the above steps. I assume that wouldn't matter but you never know.

Not sure what exactly did it. It seemed a manual disconnect and reconnect through the server explorer made VS "wake up" and display the server in the list. Try fiddling with the connection and tables a bit to see if that wakes something up.

Answer 6

I had this problem as well. The cause was probably that I forgot to tick the visual studio checkbox when installing the system.data.sqlite driver and then installed over that with the checkbox ticked without deinstalling the system.data.sqlite driver first. This how I solved it:

1. Uninstall the system.data.sqlite driver.
2. Reboot.
3. Install the system.data.sqlite driver
4. Delete the old solution and set it up anew, just like you did (might not be necessary).
5. Add the ADO.NET entity model (the template was missing for me, this answer helped with that)
6. The sqlite data source should now be available.