如何从SQL Server中填充一组实体框架代码优先POCOS（一次关闭）？

Question

We have custom code that wipes and initializes our test database by creating a few objects and saving them to the DatabaseContext (we use Migrations for the schema, but not for the data). However, our tester has created a lot more data, and doesn't want to lose her test data when we do a clean deploy. I therefore have to figure out how to get the data from SQL Server into C# (once off), so it an be run with our data-initialization program.

My initial approach was to manually copy-paste the data into C# object initializers, but this got old quickly, since there are 100+ rows to copy.

My second approach was to create the objects using a SELECT statement in SQL Server, mixing the C# initializer syntax into the SQL SELECT statement, and then copying the C# strings generated by SQL Server back into Visual Studio.

Although the second approach seems OK, I was wondering if there's an obvious solution (apart from simply running a SQL INSERT script every time) that I am missing.

Answer 1

I ended up going with the approach mentioned in the question. Generating C# object initialializers in SQL Select Statements.

A few things I picked up, mostly obvious:

• CAST AS VARCHAR for all numeric fields (although SQL Server will give error if you don't).

• Dates: convert to VARCHAR and surround with DateTime.Parse()

• Use a CASE statement to convert SQL bool value (1/0) to true/false as strings.

• Enums: generate a cast.

• If using autonumber ids, remember to prefix instance names with a letter(s). Add the object to DataContext after initializing it.

Don't be afraid to reference your C# code in the generated code. It isn't going to run in SQL Server in any case.

Answer 2

I would just create an SQL script that recreates the data in your DB.
You can run this script through the commandline or through C#...

Answer 3

You do have another option. Take a backup of the test database, load that backup into a new database on the same server as the target database, and when the migration is finished (including clearing the database) issue cross-database INSERT...SELECT statements.

The benefit of this approach is if the testing team gets another version they like, you can take a backup and overwrite the staging database with that allowing them to continually build more data.