I started playing with Entity Framework and Linq within custom DNN modules a while ago, and had some trouble figuring out how to build the EF connection string using nothing more than the DNN connection string.    This is the solution that I came up with.  It does not require that you add any additional connection strings (EF specific or otherwise to the web.config file).

I was wondering what other ways people have come up with to deal with the EF connection strings with their custom DNN modules.

I have a utility class with the following method in it that creates the connection string:

Public Shared Function GenerateGITasksEntityFrameworkConnection() As EntityConnection
        ' Specify the provider name, server and database. 
        Dim providerName As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("SiteSqlServer").ProviderName

        ' Initialize the connection string builder for the underlying provider. 
        Dim sqlBuilder As New SqlConnectionStringBuilder()

        ' Set the properties for the data source. 
        sqlBuilder.ConnectionString = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("SiteSqlServer").ConnectionString

        ' Initialize the EntityConnectionStringBuilder. 
        Dim entityBuilder As New EntityConnectionStringBuilder()

        'Set the provider name. 
        entityBuilder.Provider = providerName

        ' Set the provider-specific connection string. 
        entityBuilder.ProviderConnectionString = sqlBuilder.ToString()

        ' Set the Metadata location. 
        entityBuilder.Metadata = "res://*/Data.MyModule.csdl|res://*/Data.MyModule.ssdl|res://*/Data.MyModule.msl"

        Return New EntityConnection(entityBuilder.ToString())
    End Function

Then call the static method as shown below:

MyContext = New MyModule.Common.Entities(MyModule.Common.Utility.GenerateGITasksEntityFrameworkConnection())

Again, this is my solution, but it does only work when the connection string name is SiteSqlServer and when the database server is Sql Server.    So it does have it's limitations.   What other solutions have others people come up with in regards to the EF connection string?

Chaitanya

Chaitanya, please enter your findings as enhancement suggestion into the DNN issue tracker at support.dotnetnuke.com, thank you.

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Cheers from Germany,
Sebastian Leupold

   

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