Using different databases for Debug and Release on Entity Framework Code First (DbContext)

Question

I've created the app database using MSDN Tutorial, but now i'm struggling trying to have 2 separate databases, one for when i'm debugging and another for releases, because it doesn't add any app.config line for the connection string...

When i open the properties for the database at server explorer i can see that the actual connection string is Data Source=(localdb)\MSSQLLocalDB;Initial Catalog=MediaManager.Model.Context;Integrated Security=True, but i can't differentiate it when in debug or release mode...

How can i do it?

---

App.config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <sectionGroup name="userSettings" type="System.Configuration.UserSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
      <section name="MediaManager.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" allowExeDefinition="MachineToLocalUser" requirePermission="false" />
    </sectionGroup>
    <sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
      <section name="MediaManager.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
    </sectionGroup>
    <!-- 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>
  <userSettings>
    <MediaManager.Properties.Settings>
      ...
    </MediaManager.Properties.Settings>
  </userSettings>
  <system.net>
    <defaultProxy useDefaultCredentials="true" />
  </system.net>
  <applicationSettings>
    <MediaManager.Properties.Settings>
      ...
    </MediaManager.Properties.Settings>
  </applicationSettings>
  <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" />
    </providers>
  </entityFramework>
</configuration>

---

Context.cs

using System.Data.Entity;

namespace MediaManager.Model
{
    public class Context : DbContext, IContext
    {
        public virtual DbSet<Episodio> Episodio { get; set; }

        public virtual DbSet<Serie> Serie { get; set; }

        public virtual DbSet<SerieAlias> SerieAlias { get; set; }

        public virtual DbSet<Feed> Feed { get; set; }
    }
}

Answer 1

You should be able to simply update your Context to pass in the name of a connection string, and define this connection string in your web.config.

For example:

public class Context : DbContext, IContext
{
    public Context() : base("MyContext") { }

    public virtual DbSet<Episodio> Episodio { get; set; }

    public virtual DbSet<Serie> Serie { get; set; }

    public virtual DbSet<SerieAlias> SerieAlias { get; set; }

    public virtual DbSet<Feed> Feed { get; set; }
}

Then in the web.config

<configuration>
    <connectionStrings>
        <add name="MyContext" connectionString="..your connection string.." providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

Once this is in place, you can then use Web Configuration Transforms to automatically update the connection string for a Release build vs. a Debug build.