Create relative path to connection string attachdbfilename in app.config

Question

This is my EF entities connection string, at the moment the AttachDbFile string is the full path of the database, and won't work when I deploy the site. How do I make a relative path for my AttachDbFile?

<add name="demoDBEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/SalongModel.csdl|res://*/SalongModel.ssdl|res://*/SalongModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string='data source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;attachdbfilename=&quot;C:\Users\user\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\WebApplication3\SVCloginLib\App_Data\demoDB.mdf&quot;;integrated security=True;connect timeout=30;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;App=EntityFramework'" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

This is the interesting part:

attachdbfilename=&quot;C:\Users\user\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\WebApplication3\SVCloginLib\App_Data\demoDB.mdf&quot;

I've tried the most obvious ones to me:

<add name="demoDBEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/SalongModel.csdl|res://*/SalongModel.ssdl|res://*/SalongModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string='data source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;attachdbfilename=|DataDirectory|demoDB.mdf;integrated security=True;connect timeout=30;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;App=EntityFramework'" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

<add name="demoDBEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/SalongModel.csdl|res://*/SalongModel.ssdl|res://*/SalongModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string='data source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;attachdbfilename=&quot;.\App_Data\demoDB.mdf&quot;;integrated security=True;connect timeout=30;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;App=EntityFramework'" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

<add name="demoDBEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/SalongModel.csdl|res://*/SalongModel.ssdl|res://*/SalongModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string='data source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;attachdbfilename=&quot;~\App_Data\demoDB.mdf&quot;;integrated security=True;connect timeout=30;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;App=EntityFramework'" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

And loads more, all give me:

The underlying provider failed on Open.

Its for a c# Rest service, if it makes any difference

DavidG · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-01 01:19:04Z

1

You can use the |DataDirectory| value to specify the App_Data folder in your project. You do however need to separate the value with a slash:

<add name="demoDBEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/SalongModel.csdl|res://*/SalongModel.ssdl|res://*/SalongModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string='data source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;attachdbfilename=|DataDirectory|\demoDB.mdf;integrated security=True;connect timeout=30;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;App=EntityFramework'" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

You may also have to set the value for DataDirectory like this in your application's initialisation method (e.g. Application_Start in global.asax.cs):

AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetData("DataDirectory",
    Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData));

edited Jul 1, 2015 at 1:19

answered Jul 1, 2015 at 1:06

DavidG

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6 Comments

user3621898 Over a year ago

Its for a c# Rest service, if it makes any difference

DavidG Over a year ago

Add that code into your Application_Start routine.

user3621898 Over a year ago

I just get a ton of errors i.gyazo.com/57aa4459cb3f0f5b167b34849edc9eab.png

user3621898 Over a year ago

I don't have a global.asax.cs in my project folder

DavidG Over a year ago

You can add a global.asax file, and copy past that line of code into the correct routine. You must have copied it incorrectly to get those errors though.

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