Table of Contents

Database Provider Support

JD.Efcpt.Build integrates with EF Core Power Tools to support multiple database providers. However, the way you configure and use each provider differs based on whether DACPAC files are available.

Quick Reference

Provider DACPAC Mode Live DB Mode Driver Package Recommended Approach
SQL Server Yes Yes Bundled with JD.Efcpt.Build DACPAC (if you have .sqlproj)
PostgreSQL No Yes JD.Efcpt.Build.PostgreSQL Live DB connection string
MySQL No Yes JD.Efcpt.Build.MySqlConnector Live DB connection string
SQLite No Yes JD.Efcpt.Build.Sqlite Live DB connection string
Oracle No Yes JD.Efcpt.Build.Oracle Live DB connection string
Firebird No Yes JD.Efcpt.Build.Firebird Live DB connection string
Snowflake No Yes JD.Efcpt.Build.Snowflake Live DB connection string

Installing Provider Drivers (Satellite Packages)

To keep the core JD.Efcpt.Build package lightweight, only the SQL Server driver ships in the box. Every other provider's ADO.NET driver lives in its own satellite package that you install alongside JD.Efcpt.Build:

# Example: add PostgreSQL support to a project that already references JD.Efcpt.Build
dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.PostgreSQL
EfcptProvider value Install command
postgres dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.PostgreSQL
mysql dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.MySqlConnector
sqlite dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Sqlite
oracle dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Oracle
firebird dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Firebird
snowflake dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Snowflake

Each satellite package bundles its own driver DLLs (e.g. JD.Efcpt.Build.PostgreSQL bundles Npgsql) and wires itself into the build automatically via an MSBuild .targets file - no additional configuration is needed beyond installing the package and setting EfcptProvider and EfcptConnectionString.

What happens if the driver package is missing

If you set EfcptProvider to a non-SQL-Server value but haven't installed the matching satellite package, the build fails fast with a clear, actionable error instead of a cryptic type-load failure:

Driver for provider 'postgres' is not available. Install it with: dotnet add package
JD.Efcpt.Build.PostgreSQL See https://jerrettdavis.github.io/JD.Efcpt.Build/user-guide/provider-support.html
for details.

This is thrown as a ProviderDriverNotFoundException from the same provider-resolution code path regardless of why the driver couldn't be loaded - whether the satellite package was never installed, or its assembly failed to load for some other reason (corrupt install, wrong architecture, etc.) - so you always get the exact install command rather than having to diagnose an internal reflection failure yourself.

SQL Server (Full Support)

SQL Server is the best-supported provider because it has native tooling for DACPAC generation.

Platform Note: Traditional (non-SDK-style) .sqlproj files are Windows-only. For cross-platform SQL projects, use Microsoft.Build.Sql or MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj, which are supported by JD.Efcpt.Build and work on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Use a SQL Server Database Project (.sqlproj) to define your schema:

<Project Sdk="MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj/3.3.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="JD.Efcpt.Build" Version="0.15.*" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Benefits:

  • Schema versioning through .sqlproj files
  • Incremental builds and caching
  • Design-time validation
  • Works in CI/CD without database connections

See Getting Started for a complete example.

Option 2: Live Database Mode

Connect directly to a SQL Server database:

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

See Connection String Mode for detailed configuration.

Non-SQL-Server Providers (Live DB Only)

For PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, Firebird, and Snowflake, you must use Connection String Mode — DACPAC files don't exist for these providers. You must also install the matching satellite package - see Installing Provider Drivers above.

Configuration

Set the database provider and connection string:

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

Available Provider Values:

  • mssql (SQL Server, default)
  • postgres (PostgreSQL)
  • mysql (MySQL)
  • sqlite (SQLite)
  • oracle (Oracle)
  • firebird (Firebird)
  • snowflake (Snowflake)

Limitations

  • Requires a live database connection at build time
  • No incremental caching (regenerates on every build unless you implement custom fingerprinting)
  • Not suitable for CI/CD environments where database connections are unavailable or ephemeral

Workaround: Generate Offline, Commit Models

For non-SQL-Server providers in CI/CD:

  1. Local Development: Use Connection String Mode to scaffold models against your development database
  2. Commit Generated Code: Commit the generated .g.cs files to version control
  3. CI/CD: Disable model generation in your build, use committed code

This approach trades automation for portability:

<!-- Only regenerate in local development -->
<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(GITHUB_ACTIONS)' != 'true'">
  <EfcptEnabled>true</EfcptEnabled>
</PropertyGroup>

Provider-Specific Notes

PostgreSQL

Requires dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.PostgreSQL (bundles Npgsql - see Installing Provider Drivers).

Connection string format:

Host=localhost;Database=mydb;Username=user;Password=pwd;Port=5432

MySQL

Requires dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.MySqlConnector (bundles MySqlConnector - see Installing Provider Drivers).

Connection string format:

Server=localhost;Database=mydb;Uid=user;Pwd=pwd;Port=3306

SQLite

Requires dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Sqlite (bundles Microsoft.Data.Sqlite.Core - see Installing Provider Drivers).

Connection string format:

Data Source=mydb.db

Useful for small databases and development. Supports file-based and in-memory databases.

Oracle

Requires dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Oracle (bundles Oracle.ManagedDataAccess[.Core] - see Installing Provider Drivers).

Connection string format:

Data Source=(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=localhost)(PORT=1521))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=mydb)));User Id=user;Password=pwd

Firebird

Requires dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Firebird (bundles FirebirdSql.Data.FirebirdClient - see Installing Provider Drivers).

Connection string format:

Database=localhost:mydb.fdb;User=SYSDBA;Password=masterkey

Snowflake

Requires dotnet add package JD.Efcpt.Build.Snowflake (bundles Snowflake.Data - see Installing Provider Drivers).

Connection string format:

Account=myaccount;User=user;Password=pwd;Warehouse=mywarehouse;Database=mydb;Schema=myschema

Choosing Your Approach

Use DACPAC Mode if:

  • You're using SQL Server
  • You want fully automated CI/CD without live database connections
  • You need schema versioning and design-time validation
  • You prefer separation of schema (SQL project) and data access (EF Core project)

Use Connection String Mode if:

  • You're using a non-SQL-Server provider
  • You have a live database available at build time
  • You want to scaffold models locally and commit them to CI/CD
  • You're in early-stage development with rapidly changing schemas

Troubleshooting

"Provider not supported" error

Ensure the provider value matches the supported list above. Common typos: sqlserver (should be mssql), psql (should be postgres).

Connection string not found

Check that EfcptConnectionString or EfcptAppSettings is set correctly. See Configuration for all supported methods.

DACPAC mode requires SQL Server

Only SQL Server supports .sqlproj and DACPAC files. For other providers, use Connection String Mode.

"Driver for provider '...' is not available" error

You set EfcptProvider to a non-SQL-Server value but haven't installed that provider's satellite package. The error message includes the exact dotnet add package command to run - see Installing Provider Drivers.

Beyond the Built-In Providers: Custom Providers

Need a database engine that isn't in the list above (MongoDB, DynamoDB, ClickHouse, etc.)? You can author and register your own custom provider - a small assembly implementing the same IProviderAdapter/ISchemaReader contract the built-in providers use, loaded via the identical satellite-package resolution machinery. This is disabled by default (custom providers execute third-party code at build time) and requires an explicit opt-in. See Custom Providers for the full authoring and registration guide.

Per-Provider Reference Samples

Minimal, buildable reference samples exist under samples/provider-<name>/ for the five providers that have no DACPAC support and therefore need Connection String Mode. Each one ships a committed, compilable copy of the generated AppDbContext + entity classes under EntityFrameworkCoreProject/Generated/, so the sample builds green in CI with -p:EfcptEnabled=false and no live database - see each sample's README for how to point it at a real database and regenerate locally.

Sample EF Core Runtime Provider Notes
provider-postgres Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL
provider-mysql Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql Pinned to EF Core 9.x - Pomelo has no EF Core 10 release yet
provider-oracle Oracle.EntityFrameworkCore
provider-firebird FirebirdSql.EntityFrameworkCore.Firebird
provider-snowflake (none - entities-only) No first-party EF Core runtime provider exists for Snowflake

(SQL Server and SQLite already have full samples under samples/dacpac-zero-config/ and samples/connection-string-sqlite/ respectively - see samples/README.md.)

See Also

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