Console Entity Developer application

Entity Developer offers a console application ed.exe. This application can:

  • generate model from a database (all schemas/tables or only specified ones)

  • generate code for the model

  • validate model

  • generate script for creating a database, based on the model

  • generate script, updating database from model

The application is located (by default) in the %Program Files%\Devart\Entity Developer\Console folder. The installer adds this folder to your PATH environment variable, so you can call it from any folder without specifying the full path to it.

The console window showing successful Model.efml creation.

Here are the main console Entity Developer parameters:

Init-Settings

Initializes a new model settings (.edps) file.

Parameter Meaning
--Templates Required. One template name or comma-separated list of template names. You can find the list of available predefined templates here: Model Template Types. Just add “ C#” or “ Visual Basic” (without quotes) after the template names from the list to specify the language.
--SettingsFile .edps file name.
--Open Open model settings file after creation using default application.

Examples

ed Init-Settings --SettingsFile "d:\Project\Model.edps" --Templates "EF Core C#" --Open

ed Init-Settings --SettingsFile "d:\Project\Model.edps" --Templates "NHibernate Visual Basic"

Notes

After executing this command, you need to edit the result .edps file. In this file:

  • You must specify the Provider and ConnectionString parameters.

  • You may edit the ModelSettings attributes: TargetFramework, ORM version, etc.

  • You may modify DatabaseFirstNamingRules

  • You may modify property values for added code generation templates, etc.

After editing this file, you may use it for the ed Create-Model command by specifying it in the --SettingsFile parameter.

Create Model

Creates model from database.

Parameter Meaning
--ModelFile .Model file name.
--SettingsFile Model settings (.edps) file name. Your can specify Provider name, Connection string, Templates and many other options in edps file. Edps file can be created by Init-Settings command.
--Templates One template name or colon-separated list of template names. You can find the list of available predefined templates here: Model Template Types. Just add “ C#” or “ Visual Basic” (without quotes) after the template names from the list to specify the language.
--Provider Provider invariant name.
--Connection Connection string.
--Schemas One schema name or comma-separated list of schema names to include in the model. If this parameter is omitted, all schemas are included.
--Tables One table name or comma-separated list of table names to include in the model. If this parameter is omitted, all tables are included.
--Views One view name or comma-separated list of view names to include in the model. If this parameter is omitted, all views are included.
--Functions One stored function name or comma-separated list of function names to include in the model. If this parameter is omitted, all functions are included.
--Procedures One stored procedure name or comma-separated list of procedure names to include in the model. If this parameter is omitted, all procedures are included.
--Execute Allows obtaining the metadata of stored procedure or function result by executing stored procedures and functions while generating model, and this may cause database damage. If this parameter is omitted, no stored routines are executed.
--ContextNamespace A namespace to use for the Context class.
--DefaultNamespace A namespace to use for all the generated classes by default: entities, complex types, context (if ContextNamespace is not set separately).
--Force Overwrite existing model file.
--Verbose Displays detailed information about actions performed by the command.

Examples

ed Create-Model --SettingsFile "d:\Project\Model.edps" --Schemas dbo --Tables "Orders", "Order Details" --Verbose

ed Create-Model --Provider System.Data.SqlClient --Connection "Data Source=***;User Id=***;Password=***;Database=***;" --Templates "EF Core C#" --Schemas dbo --ModelFile "d:\Project\Model.efml" --Tables "Orders", "Order Details" --Verbose

Note

You need to specify either the --SettingsFile parameter or --Provider, --Connection, and --Templates. If the --SettingsFile parameter is specified, the --ModelFile parameter is not required the model file will be named as the settings file. Otherwise, it is strongly recommended to specify the --ModelFile parameter.

Generate-Code

Applies all enabled model templates and generates code. This command is usually used after the user modified template settings in a .edps file or edited the model (class or property names).

Parameter Meaning
--ModelFile Model file name.

Validate-Model

Validates model. Checks for errors and warnings.

Parameter Meaning
--ModelFile Model file name.

Get-Create-Script

Generates a DDL script, creating database from model, and saves it to the specified file.

Parameter Meaning
--ModelFile Model file name.
--ScriptFile Script file name.
--Open Open script file after creation using default application.

Note

If the --ScriptFile parameter is not set, Entity Developer generates .sql file with the same name as the model. You can specify not only sql file extension, but any extension in the --ScriptFile parameter.

Get-Update-Script

Generates a DDL script, updating database based on model changes, and saves it to the specified file.

Parameter Meaning
--ModelFile Model file name.
--ScriptFile Script file name.
--Open Open script file after creation using default application.

See also

Database-First Approach

Code generation

Template System Concepts

Synchronizing model and database data