Entity Framework Core: How to get the Connection from the DbContext?

Question

I am trying the new Entity Framework Core with MySQL Connector.

I can get a valid DbContext and write into the database so everything has been setup correctly.

I need to get the Connection from the DbContext because I have to test for it at application starting using a connection.Open() inside a try statement. If there is not a valid connection, the console app should try to start MySQL Server and retry.

How can I get the Connection from the DbContext?

Before EF6 by context.Connection. After EF6 by context.Database.Connection.

It seems the latest has been removed too from EFCore.

there is something like - dbContext.Database.OpenConnection() or dbContext.Database.GetDbConnection() in EF Core - would that be useful? — Developer
– Developer, Commented Jan 30, 2017 at 12:32
No, unfortunately not. I can't see anything like context.Database.OpenConnection() or context.Database.GetConnection() method, otherwise I would have simply called them. — nico9T
– nico9T, Commented Jan 30, 2017 at 12:44
Dependencies: "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore": "1.0.0", "MySql.Data.Core": "7.0.4-IR-191", "MySql.Data.EntityFrameworkCore": "7.0.4-IR-191". — nico9T
– nico9T, Commented Jan 30, 2017 at 12:58
Try installing this package - nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Relational — Developer
– Developer, Commented Jan 30, 2017 at 12:59

Developer · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-30 13:14:38Z

117

The Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Relational (https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Relational/) package provides extension methods for this - you can use dbContext.Database.OpenConnection() or dbContext.Database.GetDbConnection() to get the DbConnection object.

Note: if you have Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer installed then you don't have to explicitly install this package

answered Jan 30, 2017 at 13:14

Developer

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7 Comments

John Over a year ago

GetDbConnection() in 2.0

hurlbz Over a year ago

Make sure to include the extensions, this was the problem for me. (using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Extensions;)

Steve Scheffler Over a year ago

I struggled with finding this as well. Just add a using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore statement. As long as you have Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer or Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Relational included in your nuget deps, you should then see the extension methods.

Radek Strugalski Over a year ago

GetDbConnection() fails when called second time on Database. I am using 'using (var connection = _dbContext.Database.GetDbConnection()) {}' block to invoke some commands. connection is Open and Closed within the using block, but yet when I run the same method for the second time I get faulty connection (ConnectionString missing, some property exceptions. What's causing it? Any workaround to this .NET Core EF bug?

David Wilson Over a year ago

@RadekStrugalski this might be relevant: github.com/aspnet/EntityFrameworkCore/issues/7810

|

Grigory Zhadko · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-16 15:31:38Z

18

You can do the following :

If you are using System.Data.SqlClient change it to Microsoft.Data.SqlCLient since the later library will accept excplicit casting from the object of the DBContext in both EntityFramework and EntityFrameWorkCore.
Create a command from the DBContext connection and Cast it to your SQLCommand by

using (SqlCommand cmd = (SqlCommand)database.GetDbConnection().CreateCommand())

Check the connection state and open it if necessary.

if (cmd.Connection.State != ConnectionState.Open)
{
    cmd.Connection.Open();
}

If there is a transaction in the DBContext add it to the command.

if (database.CurrentTransaction != null)
{
    cmd.Transaction = database.CurrentTransaction.GetDbTransaction();
}

By doing this you will avoid any problems can appear when using comands outside the context.

edited Jul 16, 2021 at 15:31

Grigory Zhadko

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answered Jul 15, 2021 at 9:47

Wael Galal El Deen

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