Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing JD.Efcpt.Build and generating your first EF Core models. By the end, you'll have automatic model generation integrated into your build process.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• .NET SDK 8.0 or later installed
• One of:
  • A SQL Server Database Project that produces a DACPAC
  • A live database connection (SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, Firebird, or Snowflake)
• Basic familiarity with MSBuild and NuGet

Installation

Choose your integration approach:

Approach	Best For
JD.Efcpt.Sdk	New projects, cleanest setup
JD.Efcpt.Build	Existing projects, projects with custom SDKs

Option A: SDK Approach (Recommended for new projects)

The SDK approach provides the cleanest project files.

Use the SDK in your project file with the version specified inline:

<Project Sdk="JD.Efcpt.Sdk/1.0.0">
    <PropertyGroup>
        <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
        <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
        <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    </PropertyGroup>

    <ItemGroup>
        <ProjectReference Include="..\DatabaseProject\DatabaseProject.sqlproj">
            <ReferenceOutputAssembly>false</ReferenceOutputAssembly>
            <OutputItemType>None</OutputItemType>
        </ProjectReference>
    </ItemGroup>

    <ItemGroup>
        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer" Version="8.0.11" />
    </ItemGroup>
</Project>

See Using JD.Efcpt.Sdk for complete SDK documentation.

Option B: PackageReference Approach

Add JD.Efcpt.Build to your application project (the project that should contain the generated DbContext and entities):

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="JD.Efcpt.Build" Version="x.x.x" />
  <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer" Version="10.0.0" />
</ItemGroup>

Or use the .NET CLI:

dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer

Step 2: Install EF Core Power Tools CLI

JD.Efcpt.Build uses the EF Core Power Tools CLI (efcpt) to generate models.

Note

.NET 10+ users: The CLI is automatically executed via dnx and does not need to be installed. Skip this step if you're using .NET 10.0 or later.

Global installation (quick start):

dotnet tool install --global ErikEJ.EFCorePowerTools.Cli --version "10.*"

Local tool manifest (recommended for teams):

# Create tool manifest if it doesn't exist
dotnet new tool-manifest

# Install as local tool
dotnet tool install ErikEJ.EFCorePowerTools.Cli --version "10.*"

Local tool manifests ensure everyone on the team uses the same CLI version.

Step 3: Build Your Project

dotnet build

On the first build, the package will:

1. Discover your SQL Project
2. Build it to a DACPAC
3. Run the EF Core Power Tools CLI
4. Generate DbContext and entity classes

Generated files appear in obj/efcpt/Generated/:

obj/efcpt/Generated/
├── YourDbContext.g.cs
└── Models/
    ├── dbo/
    │   ├── User.g.cs
    │   └── Order.g.cs
    └── sales/
        └── Customer.g.cs

Solution Structure

A typical solution layout looks like this:

YourSolution/
├── src/
│   └── YourApp/
│       ├── YourApp.csproj          # Add JD.Efcpt.Build here
│       └── efcpt-config.json       # Optional: customize generation
└── database/
    └── YourDatabase/
        └── YourDatabase.sqlproj    # Your SQL Project (Microsoft.Build.Sql)
                                    # OR YourDatabase.csproj (MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj)

Minimal Configuration

For most projects, no configuration is required. The package uses sensible defaults:

• Auto-discovers SQL Project in your solution (.sqlproj for Microsoft.Build.Sql, .csproj/.fsproj for MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj)
• Uses efcpt-config.json if present
• Generates to obj/efcpt/Generated/
• Enables nullable reference types
• Organizes files by database schema

Explicit SQL Project Path

If auto-discovery doesn't find your SQL Project, specify it explicitly:

<PropertyGroup>
  <EfcptSqlProj>..\database\YourDatabase\YourDatabase.sqlproj</EfcptSqlProj>
  <!-- For Microsoft.Build.Sql, use .sqlproj extension -->
  <!-- For MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj, use .csproj or .fsproj extension -->
</PropertyGroup>

Configuration File (Optional)

Create efcpt-config.json in your project directory to customize generation:

{
  "names": {
    "root-namespace": "YourApp.Data",
    "dbcontext-name": "ApplicationDbContext",
    "dbcontext-namespace": "YourApp.Data",
    "entity-namespace": "YourApp.Data.Entities"
  },
  "code-generation": {
    "use-nullable-reference-types": true,
    "use-date-only-time-only": true,
    "enable-on-configuring": false
  },
  "file-layout": {
    "output-path": "Models",
    "output-dbcontext-path": ".",
    "use-schema-folders-preview": true,
    "use-schema-namespaces-preview": true
  }
}

Using a Live Database

If you don't have a SQL Project, you can generate models directly from a database connection. JD.Efcpt.Build supports multiple database providers:

Provider	Value	Example
SQL Server	mssql	Default
PostgreSQL	postgres	Host=localhost;Database=mydb;Username=user;Password=pass
MySQL	mysql	Server=localhost;Database=mydb;User=root;Password=secret
SQLite	sqlite	Data Source=./mydatabase.db
Oracle	oracle	Data Source=localhost:1521/ORCL;User Id=system;Password=oracle
Firebird	firebird	Database=localhost:C:\data\mydb.fdb;User=SYSDBA;Password=masterkey
Snowflake	snowflake	account=myaccount;user=myuser;password=mypassword;db=mydb

SQL Server example:

<PropertyGroup>
  <EfcptConnectionString>Server=localhost;Database=MyDb;Integrated Security=True;</EfcptConnectionString>
</PropertyGroup>

PostgreSQL example:

<PropertyGroup>
  <EfcptProvider>postgres</EfcptProvider>
  <EfcptConnectionString>Host=localhost;Database=mydb;Username=user;Password=pass</EfcptConnectionString>
</PropertyGroup>

Or reference your existing appsettings.json:

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

See Connection String Mode for details.

Verifying the Setup

After building, verify that:

1. Generated files exist: Check obj/efcpt/Generated/ for .g.cs files
2. Files compile: Your project should build without errors
3. DbContext is available: You should be able to use the generated DbContext in your code

public class MyService
{
    private readonly ApplicationDbContext _context;

    public MyService(ApplicationDbContext context)
    {
        _context = context;
    }

    public async Task<List<User>> GetUsersAsync()
    {
        return await _context.Users.ToListAsync();
    }
}

Incremental Builds

After the initial generation, subsequent builds are fast. Models are only regenerated when:

• The DACPAC (or database schema) changes
• Configuration files change
• T4 templates change

To force regeneration, delete the intermediate directory:

# Windows
rmdir /s /q obj\efcpt

# Unix/macOS
rm -rf obj/efcpt

Then rebuild:

dotnet build

Common Issues

Database project not found

If the package can't find your SQL Project:

1. Ensure the project exists and builds independently
2. Set EfcptSqlProj explicitly in your .csproj
3. Enable detailed logging: <EfcptLogVerbosity>detailed</EfcptLogVerbosity>

efcpt CLI not found

On .NET 8 or 9:

1. Verify the tool is installed: dotnet tool list --global
2. Reinstall if needed: dotnet tool install -g ErikEJ.EFCorePowerTools.Cli --version "10.*"
3. Try using a local tool manifest with <EfcptToolMode>tool-manifest</EfcptToolMode>

No generated files

1. Check build output for errors
2. Look in obj/efcpt/Generated/ for files
3. Enable diagnostic logging: <EfcptDumpResolvedInputs>true</EfcptDumpResolvedInputs>

Next Steps

• Core Concepts - Understand how the pipeline works
• Configuration - Explore all configuration options
• T4 Templates - Customize code generation