Missing ProviderName when debugging AzureFunction as well as deploying azure function

Question

I have an issue getting a DbContext to correctly pull my connection string from my local.settings.json

Context:

• This is an Az

Answer 1

So the solution ended up being trivial. The ProviderName attribute specified in local.settings.json MUST be camel case.

From the original git hub discussions :
https://github.com/Azure/azure-functions-cli/issues/46
Shows the provider name as being pascal case

https://github.com/Azure/azure-functions-cli/issues/193
Shows the provider name being camel case in pseudo code It was very easy to miss but your config section must be exactly as follows

"ConnectionStrings": {
"ShipBob_DevEntities": {
  "ConnectionString": "metadata=res://*/Model1.csdl|res://*/Model1.ssdl|res://*/Model1.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string='data source=***;initial catalog=***;persist security info=True;User Id=***;Password=***;;multipleactiveresultsets=True;application name=EntityFramework'",
  "ProviderName":  "System.Data.EntityClient"
  }
}  

These points are important:

• Make sure your connection string has metadata information
• If copying your string from an xml config, make sure you unescape apostrophes
• Make sure the ProviderName attribute is camel case
• Make sure the provider name is System.Data.EntityClient

Fix for missing providername in deployment

Note, this answer assumes you are trying to use the parameterless constructor of a DbContext. If you are creating new code you can easily follow the second upvoted answer

I figured out a way to circumvent the provider name issue while still retaining the use of the portal config and thus deployment slots. It involves setting the default connection string of db context using static properties

private static string _connectionString = "name=ShipBob_DevEntities";

    static ShipBob_DevEntities()
    {
        if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AzureFunction")))
        {
            var connectionString = System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("EntityFrameworkConnectionString");

            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(connectionString))
            {
                _connectionString = connectionString;
            }
        }
    }

    public ShipBob_DevEntities()
        : base(_connectionString)
    {
        this.Configuration.LazyLoadingEnabled = false;
    }  

This involves the developer to create an app setting in the azure portal as a flag. In my case it is AzureFunction. This makes sure that our code is only run in an azure function and all other clients of this DbContext, whether they be web apps, windows apps, etc, can still continue behaving as expected. This also involves adding your connection string to the azure portal as an AppSetting and not an actual connection string. Please use the full connection string including them metadata information but without the provider name!

EDIT

You will need to edit your auto generated .tt file t4 template to make sure this code does not get overridden if you are using db first.

Here is a link on the T4 syntax: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/modeling/writing-a-t4-text-template

And here is an explanation on EF T4 templates: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj613116(v=vs.113).aspx#1159a805-1bcf-4700-9e99-86d182f143fe