Update existing database with Entity Framework Code First in MVC

Question

In my MVC application I used Entity Framework 6 and created database with code first approach. After a certain time, I updated one of the entity classes by adding new column and removing some columns. For reflecting these changes to the database I followed the steps below:

1. Deleted the migrations folder in the project.
2. Deleted the __MigrationHistory table in the database.

3. Then run the following command in the Package Manager Console:
   Enable-Migrations -EnableAutomaticMigrations -Force

4. Add the following lines in configuration file:
   AutomaticMigrationsEnabled = true;
   AutomaticMigrationDataLossAllowed = true;

5. Run:
   Add-Migration Initial

6. And finally, run:
   Update-Database -Verbose

However, I encounter an error "There is already an object named 'xxx' in the database."

To get rid of this problem, I comment the code in the Up method in the initial file created after 5th step. This prevent the error but nothing is changed in the database (the updated entity tables remains as before). Where is the mistake? Thanks in advance for your help.

Here is the Up method that I commented in the migration.cs file:

    public override void Up()
    {
        CreateTable(
            "dbo.City",
            c => new
                {
                    ID = c.Int(nullable: false, identity: true),
                    Name = c.String(nullable: false),
                    RegionID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                })
            .PrimaryKey(t => t.ID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.Region", t => t.RegionID)
            .Index(t => t.RegionID);

        CreateTable(
            "dbo.Multiplier",
            c => new
                {
                    ID = c.Int(nullable: false, identity: true),
                    Status = c.Int(nullable: false),
                    Term = c.Int(nullable: false),
                    CityID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                    WhoIsOnline = c.String(nullable: false),
                    UserId = c.String(nullable: false),
                    InstituteName = c.String(nullable: false),
                    InstituteStatusID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                    InstituteAccreditationDate = c.DateTime(nullable: false),
                    Address = c.String(nullable: false),
                    Phone = c.String(nullable: false),
                    Fax = c.String(),
                    Email = c.String(nullable: false),
                    EurodeskEmail = c.String(nullable: false),
                    WebSite = c.String(),
                    ContactName = c.String(nullable: false),
                    ContactSurname = c.String(nullable: false),
                    ContactJobTitle = c.String(),
                    ContactAssignmentDate = c.DateTime(),
                    ContactWorkingStart = c.String(),
                    ContactWorkingkEnd = c.String(),
                    ContactPhone = c.String(),
                    ContactMobile = c.String(nullable: false),
                    ContactEmail = c.String(nullable: false),
                    ContactCityID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                    LegalRepresentativeName = c.String(nullable: false),
                    LegalRepresentativeSurname = c.String(nullable: false),
                })
            .PrimaryKey(t => t.ID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.City", t => t.CityID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.InstituteStatus", t => t.InstituteStatusID)
            .Index(t => t.CityID)
            .Index(t => t.InstituteStatusID);

        CreateTable(
            "dbo.InstituteStatus",
            c => new
                {
                    ID = c.Int(nullable: false, identity: true),
                    Name = c.String(nullable: false),
                })
            .PrimaryKey(t => t.ID);

        CreateTable(
            "dbo.TrainingParticipant",
            c => new
                {
                    ID = c.Int(nullable: false, identity: true),
                    TrainingID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                    ParticipantID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                    Multiplier_ID = c.Int(),
                })
            .PrimaryKey(t => t.ID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.Participant", t => t.ParticipantID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.Training", t => t.TrainingID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.Multiplier", t => t.Multiplier_ID)
            .Index(t => t.TrainingID)
            .Index(t => t.ParticipantID)
            .Index(t => t.Multiplier_ID);

        CreateTable(
            "dbo.Participant",
            c => new
                {
                    ID = c.Int(nullable: false, identity: true),
                    Name = c.String(nullable: false),
                    Surname = c.String(nullable: false),
                    MultiplierID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                })
            .PrimaryKey(t => t.ID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.Multiplier", t => t.MultiplierID)
            .Index(t => t.MultiplierID);

        CreateTable(
            "dbo.Training",
            c => new
                {
                    ID = c.Int(nullable: false, identity: true),
                    Name = c.String(nullable: false),
                    Date = c.DateTime(nullable: false),
                    CityID = c.Int(nullable: false),
                })
            .PrimaryKey(t => t.ID)
            .ForeignKey("dbo.City", t => t.CityID)
            .Index(t => t.CityID);

        CreateTable(
            "dbo.Region",
            c => new
                {
                    ID = c.Int(nullable: false, identity: true),
                    Name = c.String(nullable: false),
                })
            .PrimaryKey(t => t.ID);

    }

And this is the Down method in the migration.cs file:

    public override void Down()
    {
        DropForeignKey("dbo.City", "RegionID", "dbo.Region");
        DropForeignKey("dbo.TrainingParticipant", "Multiplier_ID", "dbo.Multiplier");
        DropForeignKey("dbo.TrainingParticipant", "TrainingID", "dbo.Training");
        DropForeignKey("dbo.Training", "CityID", "dbo.City");
        DropForeignKey("dbo.TrainingParticipant", "ParticipantID", "dbo.Participant");
        DropForeignKey("dbo.Participant", "MultiplierID", "dbo.Multiplier");
        DropForeignKey("dbo.Multiplier", "InstituteStatusID", "dbo.InstituteStatus");
        DropForeignKey("dbo.Multiplier", "CityID", "dbo.City");
        DropIndex("dbo.Training", new[] { "CityID" });
        DropIndex("dbo.Participant", new[] { "MultiplierID" });
        DropIndex("dbo.TrainingParticipant", new[] { "Multiplier_ID" });
        DropIndex("dbo.TrainingParticipant", new[] { "ParticipantID" });
        DropIndex("dbo.TrainingParticipant", new[] { "TrainingID" });
        DropIndex("dbo.Multiplier", new[] { "InstituteStatusID" });
        DropIndex("dbo.Multiplier", new[] { "CityID" });
        DropIndex("dbo.City", new[] { "RegionID" });
        DropTable("dbo.Region");
        DropTable("dbo.Training");
        DropTable("dbo.Participant");
        DropTable("dbo.TrainingParticipant");
        DropTable("dbo.InstituteStatus");
        DropTable("dbo.Multiplier");
        DropTable("dbo.City");
    }

Answer 1

Why did you do steps 1-4? That's where you went wrong. If you had a previously generated database and you're just making changes to the schema, then just generate a migration and apply it. By doing steps 1-4, you're effectively undoing Entity Framework's knowledge of this database and essentially ending up with code-first with an existing database. At which point, you either have to manually change your schema or let Entity Framework blow it out and start over.

As far as getting back to a state where you can apply migrations again goes, you were on the right track with generating a migration and just emptying out the Up method. However, you need to do this against your application's previous state, i.e. the one that matches the database as it currently is. Otherwise, Entity Framework is going to generate create tables that include your code changes. So the steps to follow are:

1. Revert your code to the point before you started modifying your POCOs.
2. Generate a migration.
3. Remove everything in the Up method
4. Apply the migration with update-database
5. Re-apply the changes you made to your POCOs.
6. Generate another migration (this one should now just have add/alter column statements instead of create tables)
7. Apply the migration.

After that, you should be good to go again. Then, the next time you make code changes, just follow steps 5 & 6.