CODEWITHSUNDEEP
entity-frameworkdllhtmlwebmatrix
Uriel Arvizu
Uriel Arvizu

Reputation: 1916

WebMatrix 2 doesn't recognize EntityFramework helper

I just started to work on WebMatrix, I did this tutorial to learn the basic and then I started with this one to get started with Entity Framework on WebMatrix (Note: That tutorial is for WebMatrix 1, but the only thing I see changed was the way you install helpers into your project). The thing is, I installed the Entity Framework helper, but my project doesn't recognize the EntityFramework.dll.

I get this error The type or namespace name 'MaxLength' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?). But the EntityFramework.dll does appear in my bin folder, what is going on? I don't understand why the reference isn't working.

This is my Web.config file according to the second tutorial and after installing the EntityFramework helper:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <!-- For more information on Entity Framework configuration, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=237468 -->
  </configSections>
  <system.web>
    <compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0"><assemblies><add assembly="System.Data.Entity, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" /><add assembly="System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" /></assemblies></compilation>
  </system.web>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="BookContext" connectionString="Data Source=|DataDirectory|Books.sdf" providerName="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0" />
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

This is the compiler output link

Am I missing something? Why does the EntityFramework.dll isn't being recognized properly by my project?

UPDATE

I thought the problem was solved when I copied the EntityFramework.dll from a webpage project created in Visual Studio 2012, but even though the errors aren't shown anymore, WebMatrix still doesn't recognize annotations like Table, Column, ForeignKey, InverseProperty, etc.

I really don't understand, a simple database is created but I can't use the EntityFramework annotations to specify all I need for the database. WebMatrix should recognize the EntityFramewor.dll but it is not. I need help in this one because I'm really lost.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 673

Answers (1)

GmG
GmG

Reputation: 1372

The error that you see is the end result of the version of EntityFramework installed on your site.

The EntityFramework 5.0 package installs version 4.4 or 5.0 of the EntityFramework.dll depending on the version of .NET (4.0 or 4.5) that the project is targeting.

In my experience, installing EntityFramework from the NuGet Gallery in WebMatrix always copies version 4.4 of EntityFramework.dll into the bin folder: you can check it looking at Properties --> Details of the EntityFramework.dll file.

The only solution I know is to download EntityFramework v.5.0 using VisualStudio Express or another standalone utility (look at this post: Install Entity Framewok v5 in Webmatrix 2 RC) and simply replace the dll installed by NuGet Gallery in WebMatrix with this one.

UPDATE

Other problems experimented with EntityFramework v.5.0 and WebMatrix are that the type 'System.Data.EntityState' is defined in an assembly that is not referenced and that is needed a using directive for DataAnnotations.Schema.

The first problem is resolved adding the following reference to web.config (look at Could not load file or assembly 'System.Data.Entity):

<add assembly="System.Data.Entity, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />

The second problem needs the addition of the directive

using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.Schema;

to the code.

Anyway, in my opinion WebMatrix isn't the right tool for developing a site based on EntityFramework.

Upvotes: 2

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