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Entity SQLCE Can't find connection string in app.config file

I've been getting this error when I try and use my model container:

No connection string named 'PFModelContainer' could be found in the application config file.

I have my edmx file in a separate project. I checked the app.config file and my model was there, and I also put it in my main project app.config file. Still doesn't work. Here's the connection string:

    <connectionStrings>
        <add name="PFModelContainer" 
             connectionString="metadata=res://*/PFModel.csdl|res:
                               //*/PFModel.ssdl|res://*/PFModel.msl;
             provider=System.Data.SqlServerCe.3.5;
             provider connection string=&quot;
             Data Source=C:\Documents and Settings\Jon\My Documents\Visual
                         Studio 2010\Projects\SpreadsheetAddIn
                         \SpreadsheetAddIn\bin\Debug\PFData.sdf;
             Password=password&quot;" 
             providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
    </connectionStrings>

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Here's how the context is called:

Private mdbContext As New PFModelContainer

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Which goes to:

Partial Public Class PFModelContainer
    Inherits DbContext

    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New("name=PFModelContainer")
    End Sub

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I thought the answer would be similar to what happened to this guy. But unfortunately his solution doesn't work with mine.

I've noticed the error isn't caught until I hit this code. It occurs when I do the linq query on the third line.

Dim dbContext As New PFModelContainer
Dim dbAccount As IQueryable(Of Account)
dbAccount = From a In dbContext.Accounts
            Where (a.AccountName = "Hello")
            Select a

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Bob Learned

The connection string needs to be in the entry assembly project's app.config.

lilypad49

ASKER

Yes, I've tried that and it still doesn't work, this is what I put:

<add name="PFModelContainer" 
     connectionString="metadata=res://*/PFModel.csdl|
                                res://*/PFModel.ssdl|
                                res://*/PFModel.msl;
     provider=System.Data.SqlServerCe.3.5;
     provider connection string=&quot;
       Data Source=C:\Documents and Settings\Jon\My Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\SpreadsheetAddIn\PFDatabase\bin\Debug\PFData.sdf;
       Password=password&quot;" 
     providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

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I also tried:

<add name="PFModelContainer" 
     connectionString="metadata=res://PFDatabase/PFModel.csdl|
                                res://PFDatabase/PFModel.ssdl|
                                res://PFDatabase/PFModel.msl;
                                [...Same...]

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and

<add name="PFModelContainer" 
     connectionString="metadata=.\PFModel.csdl|
                                .\PFModel.ssdl|
                                .\PFModel.msl;
                                [...Same...]

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and

<add name="PFModelContainer" 
     connectionString="metadata=~\PFModel.csdl|
                                ~\PFModel.ssdl|
                                ~\PFModel.msl;
                                [...Same...]

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What am I missing? Should it be written differently?

Bob Learned

You can use the System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager to try to get the connection string. Also, you can construct a data context, by passing in the connection string, since there are overloaded constructors.

lilypad49

ASKER

I imported System.Configuration then did

dim con as Configuration
dim con as Configuration.ConfigurationSettings

But VB didn't like it, ConfigurationManager didn't even pop up. I'm using VB.NET Express, so I don't know if that is part of the problem.

I'll try and do the construct with data context.

Bob Learned

That would be something like this:

Import System.Configuration

...

Dim connectionString As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("MyDatabase").ConnectionString
Dim context As New MyDataContext(connectionString)

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where "MyDatabase" in the connection string.

lilypad49

ASKER

OK, I finally got a connection string working using

Using conn As EntityConnection = New EntityConnection(entityBuilder.ToString)

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from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb302786.aspx

but when I try do use

Dim context As New MyDataContext(connectionString)

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it gives me the error:

Too many arguments to 'Public Sub New()'.

Am I supposed to create the overloaded constructors myself or am I missing something.

TheLearnedOne: Thanks for your patience with me!

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Bob Learned

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lilypad49

ASKER

I am using Entity Framework v. 4.1. To grab the context I use:

I was using

ADO.NET DbContext Generator

was I supposed to be using

ADO.NET EntityObject Generator

?

What's the difference between the two?

lilypad49

ASKER

OK, I looked up the difference, I guess EntityObject is the old way of doing things and DbContext is the new "preferred" way of doing things.

So, apparently inside of the dbcontext mybase.new can either be the name of the context or the connection string, unfortunately they didn't put in an overrideable statement (someone must have missed it), so I did it manually. It works now!

Thanks so much for your help oh learned one! I just wonder why it wasn't working properly, I would think they would just make it plug and chug, I wonder what I'm doing wrong :\ .

lilypad49

ASKER

Thanks once again for your help! It would be nice to find out what was going wrong with Microsoft (or me)!