deps.json does not exist

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deps.json does not exist

Agustín 0

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Hello everyone!! I am a junior programmer trying to make a project in .NET MAUI, but when it comes to scaffolding my database, I get the following error:

The specified deps.json [C:\Users\Developer\source\repos\MauiTest7\MauiTest7\bin\Debug\net7.0-android\MauiTest7.deps.json] does not exist

I have tried everything, rebuild project, clean, changing from version 7.0 to 8.0 and nothing.

I have pushed ChatGPT to the limit and it hasn't solved anything for me. I've been dealing with this for +5 hours and I've seen many forums but nothing has managed to solve the problem for me.

I'm a little desperate now, because I don't know what to do anymore and that's why I come to this forum. I hope someone can help me.

Thanks a lot!

Adam Rampazzo 0 Reputation points

2024-03-16T02:04:17.92+00:00

I have the same problem. I've already checked if it's the startup project (check), if the file exists (it doesn't exist), if it's the project that has the database context (check). I tried dotnet clean and build. I tried dotnet restore and nothing resolved it.
Basani Bhavana 0 Reputation points

2025-05-27T18:13:18.7233333+00:00
This is a common pain point when working with .NET MAUI and Entity Framework Core scaffolding, especially when targeting platforms like Android. The error:

"The specified deps.json ... does not exist"

usually means you're trying to scaffold your database context against a target platform like Android, which doesn’t support direct execution of EF Core CLI tools.

Entity Framework tools expect a runnable, .NET-compatible executable project (like a .NET 7/8 console app, ASP.NET app, etc.) to load assemblies and build metadata — but .NET MAUI Android/iOS projects aren't directly supported in this context.

How to Fix It — Step-by-Step

Option 1: Create a .NET Console App as a "Design-Time" Host

This is the most reliable and clean approach.

Right-click your solution → Add → New Project → Console App (.NET 7/8) Name it something like MauiTest7.EFCoreDesignHost

Reference your MAUI project (the one with models/DbContext) In MauiTest7.EFCoreDesignHost.csproj:

<ItemGroup> <ProjectReference Include="..\MauiTest7\MauiTest7.csproj" /> </ItemGroup>

Add a simple Main method:

using MauiTest7.Data; // Your namespace with DbContext var db = new AppDbContext(); // Just to ensure it loads

Set the console project as the startup project temporarily.

Run the Scaffold command with --project and --startup-project:

dotnet ef dbcontext scaffold "Your_Connection_String" Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer --project MauiTest7 --startup-project MauiTest7.EFCoreDesignHost --output-dir Data/Models --context AppDbContext --force

This command tells EF to generate code into your MAUI project, but use the console app as the startup project, which has a deps.json and works with EF Core.

Option 2: Use dotnet-ef from the MAUI .csproj with correct flags (less reliable)

This sometimes works but is more error-prone due to Android/iOS build targets.

dotnet ef dbcontext scaffold "Your_Connection_String" Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer --framework net7.0 --output-dir Data/Models --context AppDbContext --project MauiTest7

4 answers

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Adam Rampazzo 0 Reputation points

2024-03-16T02:04:17.92+00:00

I have the same problem. I've already checked if it's the startup project (check), if the file exists (it doesn't exist), if it's the project that has the database context (check). I tried dotnet clean and build. I tried dotnet restore and nothing resolved it.

Answer 1

yannick 5

Getting same trouble after moving project to new folder.

solved it by removing all /bin / obj /.vs folders.

Rebuild all

Answer 2

hello :),

I face the same issue as you. I'm not sure if what I'm saying is 100% correct or not. This is my first post, and I'm also a junior. However, I believe Maui doesn't create a deps.json file because it targets framework net8.0-ios/android, etc but not net8.0. At least, that's how I perceive it.

Additionally, if I'm not mistaken, the official documentation suggests using sqlite-net-pcl.

Furthermore, I'm not certain if this is feasible, but perhaps we could work around the migration generation by using another project, such as a console project, solely for the execution context?

Answer 3

henry hosken SI 0

I had the same problem, I solved it by deleting the /bin /obj /.vs folders and then I recompiled the solution and solved the problem

Answer 4

Leon Jiang 0

The solution is very easy, double click your solution name to enter the property setup file and in the first row you will see something like this:

<TargetFrameworks>net9.0-android;net9.0-ios;net9.0-maccatalyst</TargetFrameworks>

Delete all things in the middle and replace them with:

<TargetFrameworks>net9.0-windows10.0.19041.0</TargetFrameworks>

It maybe a little different on your computer, but basically this will work.

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deps.json does not exist

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