efcore-migrations

EF Core Migrations Skill

Overview A compact, reproducible workflow for creating and applying EF Core migrations after entity/model changes. This skill codifies repo-specific dotnet ef commands (from the repo README) and enforces the rule: do not hand-generate migration code — always use the EF tooling to produce migration files.

When to use

• After model/entity (domain) changes in backend/Models or other persisted types.
• When adding, renaming, or removing columns or relationships that require schema changes.
• When preparing data migrations or seed updates tied to a schema change.

Prerequisites

• Project builds: run dotnet build backend and fix compile errors first.
• dotnet-ef tooling available (global or local). If not available, prompt the user before attempting to install or run it.
• Local dev DB or test DB available when you plan to run dotnet ef database update.

Repository reference Follow the repository README's "Migrations" section for the canonical commands and locations: README.md. Example commands from the README:

# create migration
dotnet ef migrations add <Name> --project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj --startup-project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj

# apply migration
dotnet ef database update --project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj --startup-project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj

Always review generated migration files under backend/Migrations before committing or applying them.

Step-by-step Workflow (agent)

1. Confirm intent
   • Detect model/entity changes, or confirm the user-declared changes.
   • Ask: migration name, target environment (dev/test/staging), and whether to run the DB update now.
2. Build & tests
   • Run dotnet build backend and dotnet test (or ask permission before running tests).
3. Generate migration (tooling-only)
   • Run the dotnet ef migrations add <DescriptiveName> command using the repository flags from the README (project/startup-project).
   • Do NOT hand-author migration files. If tooling cannot run, stop and ask the user for permission to install/run dotnet-ef or for instructions to proceed locally.
4. Review generated migration files
   • Inspect backend/Migrations/<timestamp>_<Name>.cs and .Designer.cs for expected schema changes and any surprising operations (drops, data-loss operations).
   • If the migration includes risky operations (column drops, data-moving SQL), ask for a migration plan and confirm backups/test-run strategy.
5. Apply to local/test DB (optional)
   • If requested and safe, run dotnet ef database update against the dev/test DB and verify runtime behavior.
6. Commit & document
   • Add generated migration files to VCS, include a short commit message describing the model change and migration name.
   • Update any seed data or documentation if needed.
7. CI/Release considerations
   • Ensure CI builds and tests run migrations as part of schema/setup steps or document required manual steps for deploy.

Decision Points

• Rolling schema changes vs. destructive changes: if data-loss operations are detected, require an explicit manual approval and a rollback plan.
• Feature-flagged data migrations: prefer background/controlled data migrations when converting large datasets.
• Tooling missing: do not generate placeholder migration files; ask the user to run the tooling locally or permit the agent to install/run dotnet-ef.

Quality Criteria / Completion Checks

• dotnet build backend succeeds.
• Migration files are created under backend/Migrations and reviewed.
• dotnet ef database update (when run) applies without unexpected errors in the dev/test DB.
• Unit and integration tests that depend on the schema pass locally/CI.
• Commit contains only the generated migration files and related code (no handcrafted migration content).

Quick commands (repo-specific)

• Create migration:

  dotnet ef migrations add <Name> --project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj --startup-project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj

• Apply migration:

  dotnet ef database update --project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj --startup-project backend/DailyChallenges.csproj

• Build: dotnet build backend

• Test: dotnet test backend

Example prompts (use with this skill)

• "I've added IsFeatured to Game. Create an EF Core migration named AddIsFeaturedToGames using the README commands, run it against my dev DB, and commit the generated migration files."
• "Model updated: renamed Score -> Points on Submission. Generate the migration but do NOT apply it—I'll review before apply."
• "I can't run dotnet-ef here; show exact commands and steps I should run locally to create and apply the migration."

Clarifying Questions (ask before acting)

• May I run dotnet ef in this workspace? (requires SDK and dotnet-ef)
• Which environment should I target when running database update? (dev/tests/staging/none)
• Is this change allowed to be destructive (drops/renames that may lose data)? If so, provide the rollback plan.

What this skill produces

• A validated migration workflow and the generated migration files created by dotnet ef migrations add (never hand-crafted migration code).
• Clear review guidance and VCS commit instructions.

Suggested next customizations

• Add a prompt template create-migration.prompt.md that runs the dotnet ef command when the user grants permission.
• Add an agent persona note (e.g., in senior-csharp-backend.agent.md) to prefer this skill for DB/schema tasks.

When you want me to create migrations automatically, confirm I may run dotnet ef in the workspace and whether to apply the migration to the dev/test DB immediately. If dotnet-ef is unavailable, I will stop and provide exact commands for you to run locally.