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home / developersection / interviews / how do you perform migrations in ef core?
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Utpal Vishwas
Utpal Vishwas

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I am Utpal Vishwas from Uttar Pradesh. Have completed my B. Tech. course from MNNIT campus Prayagraj in 2022. I have good knowledge of computer networking.

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1 Answers

Utpal Vishwas
Utpal Vishwas 20 May 2025
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To perform migrations in EF Core, you use the EF Core CLI tools or Package Manager Console to:

  1. Create migration files (track model changes).
  2. Apply those changes to the database.

Basic EF Core Migration Workflow

1. Install EF Core Tools (if needed)

For CLI:

dotnet tool install --global dotnet-ef

2. Create Initial Migration

dotnet ef migrations add InitialCreate

This creates a Migrations/ folder with a snapshot of the model and SQL instructions to create tables.

3. Apply Migration to Database

dotnet ef database update

This runs the migration and updates your database schema accordingly.

When Models Change

1. Modify your C# models or DbContext.

2. Add a new migration:

dotnet ef migrations add AddPriceToProduct

3. Apply it:

dotnet ef database update

Full Example

Step 1: Define a model

public class Product
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

Step 2: Define a DbContext

public class AppDbContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Product> Products { get; set; }

    public AppDbContext(DbContextOptions<AppDbContext> options)
        : base(options) { }
}

Step 3: Register DbContext

builder.Services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(options =>
    options.UseSqlServer(builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection")));

Step 4: Add & Apply Migration

dotnet ef migrations add InitialCreate
dotnet ef database update

Common Commands

Command Purpose
dotnet ef migrations add <Name> Create a new migration
dotnet ef database update Apply migrations to DB
dotnet ef migrations remove Remove last (unapplied) migration
dotnet ef migrations list List all migrations
dotnet ef database drop Drop the database

Notes

  1. Ensure your project includes a Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design package.
  2. Always review migration code before applying, especially in production.
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