Configuration

JD.Efcpt.Build can be configured through MSBuild properties and JSON configuration files. This guide covers all available options.

Configuration Hierarchy

The package uses a three-level configuration hierarchy:

Package Defaults - Sensible defaults shipped with the NuGet package
JSON Configuration Files - Project-level efcpt-config.json and efcpt.renaming.json
MSBuild Properties - Highest priority, override everything else

MSBuild Properties

Set these properties in your .csproj file or Directory.Build.props.

Core Properties

Property	Default	Description
`EfcptEnabled`	`true`	Master switch for the entire pipeline
`EfcptSqlProj`	(auto-discovered)	Path to SQL Project file (`.sqlproj` for Microsoft.Build.Sql, `.csproj`/`.fsproj` for MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj)
`EfcptDacpac`	(empty)	Path to pre-built `.dacpac` file (skips SQL Project build)
`EfcptConfig`	`efcpt-config.json`	EF Core Power Tools configuration file
`EfcptRenaming`	`efcpt.renaming.json`	Renaming rules file
`EfcptTemplateDir`	`Template`	T4 template directory

Output Properties

Property	Default	Description
`EfcptOutput`	`$(BaseIntermediateOutputPath)efcpt\`	Intermediate staging directory
`EfcptGeneratedDir`	`$(EfcptOutput)Generated\`	Generated code output directory
`EfcptFingerprintFile`	`$(EfcptOutput)fingerprint.txt`	Fingerprint cache location
`EfcptStampFile`	`$(EfcptOutput).efcpt.stamp`	Generation stamp file

Connection String Properties

Property	Default	Description
`EfcptConnectionString`	(empty)	Explicit connection string (enables connection string mode)
`EfcptAppSettings`	(empty)	Path to `appsettings.json` for connection string
`EfcptAppConfig`	(empty)	Path to `app.config` or `web.config` for connection string
`EfcptConnectionStringName`	`DefaultConnection`	Key name in configuration file
`EfcptProvider`	`mssql`	Database provider: `mssql`, `postgres`, `mysql`, `sqlite`, `oracle`, `firebird`, `snowflake`

Tool Configuration Properties

Property	Default	Description
`EfcptToolMode`	`auto`	Tool resolution mode: `auto`, `tool-manifest`, or global
`EfcptToolPackageId`	`ErikEJ.EFCorePowerTools.Cli`	NuGet package ID for CLI
`EfcptToolVersion`	`10.*`	Version constraint
`EfcptToolCommand`	`efcpt`	Command name
`EfcptToolPath`	(empty)	Explicit path to efcpt executable
`EfcptDotNetExe`	`dotnet`	Path to dotnet host
`EfcptToolRestore`	`true`	Whether to restore/update tool

Discovery Properties

Property	Default	Description
`EfcptSolutionDir`	`$(SolutionDir)`	Solution root for project discovery
`EfcptSolutionPath`	`$(SolutionPath)`	Solution file path (fallback discovery)
`EfcptProbeSolutionDir`	`true`	Whether to probe solution directory

Diagnostic Properties

Property	Default	Description
`EfcptLogVerbosity`	`minimal`	Logging level: `minimal` or `detailed`
`EfcptDumpResolvedInputs`	`false`	Log all resolved input paths

Config Override Properties

These properties override values in efcpt-config.json without editing the JSON file directly. This is useful for CI/CD scenarios or when you want different settings per build configuration.

Property	Default	Description
`EfcptApplyMsBuildOverrides`	`true`	Whether to apply MSBuild property overrides to user-provided config files

Names Section Overrides

Property	JSON Property	Description
`EfcptConfigRootNamespace`	`root-namespace`	Root namespace for generated code (defaults to `$(RootNamespace)` if not specified)
`EfcptConfigDbContextName`	`dbcontext-name`	Name of the DbContext class
`EfcptConfigDbContextNamespace`	`dbcontext-namespace`	Namespace for the DbContext class
`EfcptConfigModelNamespace`	`model-namespace`	Namespace for entity model classes

File Layout Section Overrides

Property	JSON Property	Description
`EfcptConfigOutputPath`	`output-path`	Output path for generated entity files
`EfcptConfigDbContextOutputPath`	`output-dbcontext-path`	Output path for the DbContext file
`EfcptConfigSplitDbContext`	`split-dbcontext-preview`	Enable split DbContext generation (preview)
`EfcptConfigUseSchemaFolders`	`use-schema-folders-preview`	Use schema-based folders (preview)
`EfcptConfigUseSchemaNamespaces`	`use-schema-namespaces-preview`	Use schema-based namespaces (preview)

Code Generation Section Overrides

Property	JSON Property	Description
`EfcptConfigEnableOnConfiguring`	`enable-on-configuring`	Add OnConfiguring method to the DbContext
`EfcptConfigGenerationType`	`type`	Type of files to generate: `all`, `dbcontext`, `entities`
`EfcptConfigUseDatabaseNames`	`use-database-names`	Use table and column names from the database
`EfcptConfigUseDataAnnotations`	`use-data-annotations`	Use DataAnnotation attributes rather than fluent API
`EfcptConfigUseNullableReferenceTypes`	`use-nullable-reference-types`	Use nullable reference types
`EfcptConfigUseInflector`	`use-inflector`	Pluralize or singularize generated names
`EfcptConfigUseLegacyInflector`	`use-legacy-inflector`	Use EF6 Pluralizer instead of Humanizer
`EfcptConfigUseManyToManyEntity`	`use-many-to-many-entity`	Preserve many-to-many entity instead of skipping
`EfcptConfigUseT4`	`use-t4`	Customize code using T4 templates
`EfcptConfigUseT4Split`	`use-t4-split`	Customize code using T4 templates with EntityTypeConfiguration.t4
`EfcptConfigRemoveDefaultSqlFromBool`	`remove-defaultsql-from-bool-properties`	Remove SQL default from bool columns
`EfcptConfigSoftDeleteObsoleteFiles`	`soft-delete-obsolete-files`	Run cleanup of obsolete files
`EfcptConfigDiscoverMultipleResultSets`	`discover-multiple-stored-procedure-resultsets-preview`	Discover multiple result sets from stored procedures (preview)
`EfcptConfigUseAlternateResultSetDiscovery`	`use-alternate-stored-procedure-resultset-discovery`	Use sp_describe_first_result_set for result set discovery
`EfcptConfigT4TemplatePath`	`t4-template-path`	Global path to T4 templates
`EfcptConfigUseNoNavigations`	`use-no-navigations-preview`	Remove all navigation properties (preview)
`EfcptConfigMergeDacpacs`	`merge-dacpacs`	Merge .dacpac files when using references
`EfcptConfigRefreshObjectLists`	`refresh-object-lists`	Refresh object lists from database during scaffolding
`EfcptConfigGenerateMermaidDiagram`	`generate-mermaid-diagram`	Create a Mermaid ER diagram during scaffolding
`EfcptConfigUseDecimalAnnotationForSprocs`	`use-decimal-data-annotation-for-sproc-results`	Use explicit decimal annotation for stored procedure results
`EfcptConfigUsePrefixNavigationNaming`	`use-prefix-navigation-naming`	Use prefix-based naming of navigations (EF Core 8+)
`EfcptConfigUseDatabaseNamesForRoutines`	`use-database-names-for-routines`	Use database names for stored procedures and functions
`EfcptConfigUseInternalAccessForRoutines`	`use-internal-access-modifiers-for-sprocs-and-functions`	Use internal access modifiers for stored procedures and functions

Type Mappings Section Overrides

Property	JSON Property	Description
`EfcptConfigUseDateOnlyTimeOnly`	`use-DateOnly-TimeOnly`	Map date and time to DateOnly/TimeOnly
`EfcptConfigUseHierarchyId`	`use-HierarchyId`	Map hierarchyId type
`EfcptConfigUseSpatial`	`use-spatial`	Map spatial columns
`EfcptConfigUseNodaTime`	`use-NodaTime`	Use NodaTime types

Replacements Section Overrides

Property	JSON Property	Description
`EfcptConfigPreserveCasingWithRegex`	`preserve-casing-with-regex`	Preserve casing with regex when custom naming

Override Behavior

Default config: When using the library-provided default config, overrides are always applied
User-provided config: Overrides are only applied if EfcptApplyMsBuildOverrides is true (default)
Empty values: Empty or whitespace-only property values are treated as "no override" and preserve the original JSON value

Example Usage

Override settings via MSBuild properties in your .csproj:

<PropertyGroup>
  <EfcptConfigRootNamespace>MyApp.Data</EfcptConfigRootNamespace>
  <EfcptConfigDbContextName>AppDbContext</EfcptConfigDbContextName>
  <EfcptConfigUseNullableReferenceTypes>true</EfcptConfigUseNullableReferenceTypes>
  <EfcptConfigUseDateOnlyTimeOnly>true</EfcptConfigUseDateOnlyTimeOnly>
</PropertyGroup>

Or per-configuration in CI/CD:

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">
  <EfcptConfigEnableOnConfiguring>false</EfcptConfigEnableOnConfiguring>
</PropertyGroup>

efcpt-config.json

The primary configuration file for EF Core Power Tools generation options.

File Location

The file is resolved in this order:

Path specified in <EfcptConfig> property
efcpt-config.json in project directory
efcpt-config.json in solution directory
Package default

Configuration Sections

names

Controls naming conventions for generated code:

{
  "names": {
    "root-namespace": "MyApp.Data",
    "dbcontext-name": "ApplicationDbContext",
    "dbcontext-namespace": "MyApp.Data",
    "entity-namespace": "MyApp.Data.Entities"
  }
}

Property	Description
`root-namespace`	Root namespace for all generated code
`dbcontext-name`	Name of the generated DbContext class
`dbcontext-namespace`	Namespace for the DbContext
`entity-namespace`	Namespace for entity classes

code-generation

Controls code generation features:

{
  "code-generation": {
    "use-t4": true,
    "t4-template-path": "Template",
    "use-nullable-reference-types": true,
    "use-date-only-time-only": true,
    "enable-on-configuring": false,
    "use-data-annotations": false
  }
}

Property	Default	Description
`use-t4`	`false`	Use T4 templates for generation
`t4-template-path`	`Template`	Path to T4 templates (relative to config)
`use-nullable-reference-types`	`true`	Generate nullable reference type annotations
`use-date-only-time-only`	`true`	Use `DateOnly`/`TimeOnly` types
`enable-on-configuring`	`false`	Generate `OnConfiguring` method
`use-data-annotations`	`false`	Use data annotations instead of Fluent API

file-layout

Controls output file organization:

{
  "file-layout": {
    "output-path": "Models",
    "output-dbcontext-path": ".",
    "use-schema-folders-preview": true,
    "use-schema-namespaces-preview": true
  }
}

Property	Default	Description
`output-path`	`Models`	Subdirectory for entity classes
`output-dbcontext-path`	`.`	Subdirectory for DbContext
`use-schema-folders-preview`	`false`	Organize entities by database schema
`use-schema-namespaces-preview`	`false`	Use schema-based namespaces

table-selection

Controls which tables are included:

{
  "table-selection": [
    {
      "schema": "dbo",
      "include": true
    },
    {
      "schema": "audit",
      "include": false
    },
    {
      "schema": "dbo",
      "tables": ["Users", "Orders"],
      "include": true
    },
    {
      "schema": "dbo",
      "tables": ["__EFMigrationsHistory"],
      "include": false
    }
  ]
}

Each selection rule has:

Property	Description
`schema`	Database schema name
`tables`	Optional list of specific table names
`include`	Whether to include (`true`) or exclude (`false`)

Rules are processed in order; later rules override earlier ones.

Complete Example

{
  "names": {
    "root-namespace": "MyApp.Data",
    "dbcontext-name": "AppDbContext",
    "dbcontext-namespace": "MyApp.Data",
    "entity-namespace": "MyApp.Data.Entities"
  },
  "code-generation": {
    "use-t4": true,
    "t4-template-path": ".",
    "use-nullable-reference-types": true,
    "use-date-only-time-only": true,
    "enable-on-configuring": false,
    "use-data-annotations": false
  },
  "file-layout": {
    "output-path": "Models",
    "output-dbcontext-path": ".",
    "use-schema-folders-preview": true,
    "use-schema-namespaces-preview": true
  },
  "table-selection": [
    {
      "schema": "dbo",
      "include": true
    },
    {
      "schema": "audit",
      "include": false
    }
  ]
}

efcpt.renaming.json

Customize how database object names are mapped to C# names.

File Location

Resolved in this order:

Path specified in <EfcptRenaming> property
efcpt.renaming.json in project directory
efcpt.renaming.json in solution directory
Package default (no renaming)

File Structure

The renaming file is a JSON array where each entry represents a schema configuration:

[
  {
    "SchemaName": "dbo",
    "Tables": [
      {
        "Name": "Categories",
        "NewName": "Category",
        "Columns": [
          {
            "Name": "Picture",
            "NewName": "Image"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "UseSchemaName": false
  }
]

Schema Entry Properties

Property	Description
`SchemaName`	The database schema name
`Tables`	Array of table renaming rules (optional)
`UseSchemaName`	Whether to include schema name in generated namespaces

Table Entry Properties

Property	Description
`Name`	Original table name in the database
`NewName`	New name for the generated entity class
`Columns`	Array of column renaming rules (optional)

Column Entry Properties

Property	Description
`Name`	Original column name in the database
`NewName`	New name for the generated property

Complete Example

[
  {
    "SchemaName": "dbo",
    "Tables": [
      {
        "Name": "tblUsers",
        "NewName": "User",
        "Columns": [
          {
            "Name": "usr_id",
            "NewName": "Id"
          },
          {
            "Name": "usr_email",
            "NewName": "Email"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "Name": "tblOrders",
        "NewName": "Order",
        "Columns": [
          {
            "Name": "ord_id",
            "NewName": "Id"
          },
          {
            "Name": "ord_total",
            "NewName": "Total"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "UseSchemaName": false
  },
  {
    "SchemaName": "audit",
    "UseSchemaName": true
  }
]

This example:

Renames tblUsers to User and tblOrders to Order in the dbo schema
Renames various columns with prefixes to cleaner names
Keeps the dbo schema without a namespace prefix (UseSchemaName: false)
Includes the audit schema name in generated namespaces (UseSchemaName: true)

Common Configuration Patterns

Minimal Configuration

Just add the package; everything is auto-discovered:

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="JD.Efcpt.Build" Version="x.x.x" />
</ItemGroup>

Custom Namespace

{
  "names": {
    "root-namespace": "MyCompany.MyApp.Data",
    "dbcontext-name": "MyAppContext"
  }
}

Schema-Based Organization

{
  "file-layout": {
    "use-schema-folders-preview": true,
    "use-schema-namespaces-preview": true
  }
}

Selective Table Generation

Include only specific tables:

{
  "table-selection": [
    {
      "schema": "dbo",
      "tables": ["Users", "Orders", "Products", "Categories"],
      "include": true
    }
  ]
}

Connection String Mode

<PropertyGroup>
  <EfcptAppSettings>appsettings.json</EfcptAppSettings>
  <EfcptConnectionStringName>DefaultConnection</EfcptConnectionStringName>
</PropertyGroup>

Team Configuration via Directory.Build.props

<Project>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <EfcptEnabled>true</EfcptEnabled>
    <EfcptToolMode>tool-manifest</EfcptToolMode>
    <EfcptToolVersion>10.*</EfcptToolVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="JD.Efcpt.Build" Version="x.x.x" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Next Steps

Connection String Mode - Generate from live databases
T4 Templates - Customize code generation templates
API Reference - Complete MSBuild task documentation

Table of Contents

Configuration

Configuration Hierarchy

MSBuild Properties

Core Properties

Output Properties

Connection String Properties

Tool Configuration Properties

Discovery Properties

Diagnostic Properties

Config Override Properties

Names Section Overrides

File Layout Section Overrides

Code Generation Section Overrides

Type Mappings Section Overrides

Replacements Section Overrides

Override Behavior

Example Usage

efcpt-config.json

File Location

Configuration Sections

names

code-generation

file-layout

table-selection

Complete Example

efcpt.renaming.json

File Location

File Structure

Schema Entry Properties

Table Entry Properties

Column Entry Properties

Complete Example

Common Configuration Patterns

Minimal Configuration

Custom Namespace

Schema-Based Organization

Selective Table Generation

Connection String Mode

Team Configuration via Directory.Build.props

Next Steps