The EDMX files and Entity Framework 6 Tools are still supported in Visual Studio 2022. You just need to make sure to include the in installation or modify visual studio installation to include them.
The custom tool for the edmx file is still set to EntityModelCodeGenerator but the main trick is being done with the t4 files (Model1.Context.tt
and Model1.tt
).
Example - Create a Database first model VS 2022 EDMX for EF 6.0
- Create a Windows Forms Application (.NET Framework 4.8).
- Add a new Item, and from the list, choose ADO.NET Entity Data Model, set a name and press enter.
- In the Entity Data Model wizard, choose EF Designer from Database, click next.
- Choose an existing data connection or create one, and click next.
- Choose the tables (and you can decide to include foreign keys or pluralize table names) and click finish.
There you go, your edmx file will be generated and you can see the C# model classes and the DBContext generated for is with the .tt
files.
Code generation from EDMX for other versions
You can just copy t4 files that you generated in above example, or T4 templates from older versions to any existing project as well.
You can use the following templates:
- EF 4.x DbContext Generator for C#
- EF 5.x DbContext Generator for C#
- EF 5.x EntityObject Generator for C#
- EF 6.x EntityObject Generator for C#
Or you can search for many other templates available.
Or see Designer Code Generation Templates which explains about different templates.
The only thing you need to do is:
- Download the VSIX from above links
- Change the file extension to *.zip
- Open the zip file and find CSharpDbContext.Context.tt and CSharpDbContext.Types.tt.
- Or if you have found them somewhere else, just copy them in your project
- Assuming you have MySampleDB.edmx, then copy those two
.tt
files along with the edmx file, and rename them toMySampleDB.Context.tt
andMySampleDB.tt
. - Then open each file and replace
Model1.edmx
withMySampleDB.edmx
. - Then include those files in the project. They will be added under the
MySampleDb.edmx
. Just to be on the safe side, set the custom tool of the edmx file (in properties) toEntityModelCodeGenerator
and Let the Code Generation Strategy be T4.
Legacy EF 4.X Object Context Generator
If you want to use Legacy Object Context Generator:
- Make sure you have installed Entity Framework 6 Tools for VS
- Create your EDMX file
- Deleted the *.tt files from your project which are beside your edmx file.
- Open the EDMX designer and right click on an empty space and choose properies.
- Right click on Code generation Strategy, and choose Reset
- Save the edmx.
For more information see:
VS Installer - Including Entity Framework 6 Tools
Open Visual Studio Installer, click modify, and then in Individual components, search for Entity, and check Entity Framework 6 tools.