How to initialize database with Entity Framework and Membership tables

Question

I have a MVC4 web application that use Entity Framework 5.0 Code First.

In Global.asax.cs I have a bootstrapper that initialize the Entity.Database, force the database to be initialized and initialize the database for the Membership. The code is this one:

System.Data.Entity.Database.SetInitializer(new DatabaseContextInitializer());
Database.Initialize(true);
WebSecurity.InitializeDatabaseConnection(DEFAULTCONNECTION, "UserProfile", "UserId", "UserName", autoCreateTables: true);

The DatabaseContextInitializer is very simple for the moment:

public class DatabaseContextInitializer : DropCreateDatabaseIfModelChanges<DatabaseContext>
{
    protected override void Seed(DatabaseContext dbContext)
    {
        base.Seed(dbContext);
        db.Set<Workout>().Add(new Workout {Id = 1, Name = "My First workout user1"})

    }
}

The problem is that I cannot create User to the membership with:

WebSecurity.InitializeDatabaseConnection(DEFAULTCONNECTION, "UserProfile", "UserId", "UserName", autoCreateTables: true);

Because I have a problem with that the database is not created. How do you initialize some default user for your database with Entity Framework 5.0 and Asp.Net MVC 4?

Answer 1

Take a look at the following article for the recommended approach for seeding your database using migrations.

Here are the steps:

1. Create a new ASP.NET MVC 4 application using the Internet Template

2. In your package manager console type the following command:

   enable-migrations
   

3. This will create a ~/Migrations/Configuration.cs file in which you could seed your database:

   using System.Data.Entity.Migrations;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Web.Security;
   using WebMatrix.WebData;
   
   internal sealed class Configuration : DbMigrationsConfiguration<MvcApplication1.Models.UsersContext>
   {
       public Configuration()
       {
           AutomaticMigrationsEnabled = true;
       }
   
       protected override void Seed(MvcApplication1.Models.UsersContext context)
       {
           WebSecurity.InitializeDatabaseConnection("DefaultConnection", "UserProfile", "UserId", "UserName", autoCreateTables: true);
   
           if (!Roles.RoleExists("Administrator"))
           {
               Roles.CreateRole("Administrator");
           }
   
           if (!WebSecurity.UserExists("john"))
           {
               WebSecurity.CreateUserAndAccount("john", "secret");
           }
   
           if (!Roles.GetRolesForUser("john").Contains("Administrator"))
           {
               Roles.AddUsersToRoles(new[] { "john" }, new[] { "Administrator" });
           }
       }
   }
   

4. Specify the memebership and role providers in your web.config:

   <roleManager enabled="true" defaultProvider="SimpleRoleProvider">
     <providers>
       <clear/>
       <add name="SimpleRoleProvider" type="WebMatrix.WebData.SimpleRoleProvider, WebMatrix.WebData"/>
     </providers>
   </roleManager>
   <membership defaultProvider="SimpleMembershipProvider">
     <providers>
       <clear/>
       <add name="SimpleMembershipProvider" type="WebMatrix.WebData.SimpleMembershipProvider, WebMatrix.WebData" />
     </providers>
   </membership>
   

5. Run the migration in your package manager console:

   update-database -verbose