managing-migrations

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Manages Entity Framework Core migrations using project scripts. Use when creating, applying, listing, or removing database migrations.

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[SQL and Databases]

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill streamlines Entity Framework Core (EF Core) migration management by providing a standardized, script-based interface for database schema evolution. It automates complex 'dotnet ef' commands through pre-configured Bash and PowerShell scripts, ensuring consistent project paths, connection strings, and naming conventions across development environments. By abstracting the CLI complexity, it minimizes human error and enhances productivity for .NET developers managing relational database schemas.

Use Cases

  • Generating new database migrations automatically after modifying C# entity configurations or data models.
  • Synchronizing local development databases with the latest project schema by applying pending migrations.
  • Auditing migration history and status to verify which schema changes have been successfully applied to the environment.
  • Safely removing the most recent unapplied migration to correct design errors without manual CLI flag configuration.
  • Resetting the development database to a clean state by dropping and recreating it with all migrations for testing purposes.
namemanaging-migrations
descriptionManages Entity Framework Core migrations using project scripts. Use when creating, applying, listing, or removing database migrations.

Managing EF Core Migrations

Overview

This project provides standardized scripts for all EF Core migration operations. Always use these scripts instead of running dotnet ef commands directly. The scripts ensure consistent project paths, output directories, and connection strings across all environments.

Available Scripts

Bash Scripts (Linux/macOS)

Located in scripts/bash/:

  • db-migrate-add.sh - Create a new migration
  • db-migrate-list.sh - List all migrations and their status
  • db-migrate-remove.sh - Remove the last migration (if not applied)
  • db-update.sh - Apply all pending migrations to the database
  • db-reset.sh - Drop and recreate the database with all migrations

PowerShell Scripts (Windows/Cross-platform)

Located in scripts/powershell/:

  • db-migrate-add.ps1 - Create a new migration
  • db-migrate-list.ps1 - List all migrations and their status
  • db-migrate-remove.ps1 - Remove the last migration (if not applied)
  • db-update.ps1 - Apply all pending migrations to the database
  • db-reset.ps1 - Drop and recreate the database with all migrations

Common Workflows

1. Creating a New Migration

After modifying entity configurations or adding new entities:

Bash:

./scripts/bash/db-migrate-add.sh AddShowEntity

PowerShell:

./scripts/powershell/db-migrate-add.ps1 -MigrationName AddShowEntity

Migration Naming Conventions:

  • Use PascalCase
  • Start with a verb: Add, Update, Remove, Rename
  • Be descriptive: AddShowEntity, UpdateVenueAddressFields, RemoveObsoleteColumns

2. Applying Migrations

After creating a migration or pulling new migrations from source control:

Bash:

./scripts/bash/db-update.sh

PowerShell:

./scripts/powershell/db-update.ps1

3. Checking Migration Status

To see which migrations exist and which have been applied:

Bash:

./scripts/bash/db-migrate-list.sh

PowerShell:

./scripts/powershell/db-migrate-list.ps1

4. Removing a Migration

If you created a migration by mistake and haven't applied it yet:

Bash:

./scripts/bash/db-migrate-remove.sh

PowerShell:

./scripts/powershell/db-migrate-remove.ps1

Important: This only works if the migration hasn't been applied to any database. If it has been applied, you need to create a new migration to revert the changes.

5. Resetting the Database

To drop and recreate the database with all migrations (useful for development):

Bash:

./scripts/bash/db-reset.sh

PowerShell:

./scripts/powershell/db-reset.ps1

Warning: This destroys all data in the database. Only use in development environments.

Standard Workflow

When implementing persistence layer changes:

  1. Modify entity configurations in src/GloboTicket.Infrastructure/Data/Configurations/
  2. Create migration using db-migrate-add.sh or db-migrate-add.ps1
  3. Review generated migration in src/GloboTicket.Infrastructure/Data/Migrations/
  4. Apply migration using db-update.sh or db-update.ps1
  5. Verify schema by checking the database or running integration tests

Script Configuration

The scripts are pre-configured with:

  • Project: src/GloboTicket.Infrastructure
  • Startup Project: src/GloboTicket.API
  • Output Directory: Data/Migrations
  • Connection String: Server=localhost,1433;Database=GloboTicket;User Id=migration_user;Password=Migration@Pass123;TrustServerCertificate=True;Encrypt=True

You should never need to specify these manually when using the scripts.

Why Use Scripts?

  1. Consistency: Everyone uses the same project paths and settings
  2. Safety: Connection strings and output directories are standardized
  3. Simplicity: No need to remember complex dotnet ef command syntax
  4. Cross-platform: Bash and PowerShell versions provide identical functionality
  5. Error Handling: Scripts include proper error checking and user feedback

Troubleshooting

"No migrations configuration type was found"

  • Ensure you're running the script from the project root directory
  • The scripts expect to be run from the workspace root (not from subdirectories)

"The migration has already been applied to the database"

  • You cannot remove a migration that has been applied
  • Create a new migration to revert the changes instead

"Build failed"

  • Fix compilation errors before creating migrations
  • EF Core needs a successful build to generate migrations

"Unable to connect to the database"

  • Ensure Docker containers are running: ./scripts/bash/docker-up.sh
  • Check database status: ./scripts/bash/docker-status.sh