DotnetEfMigrationsSquash 1.0.0

Migrations Squash CLI Tool for EF Core

Overview

The Migrations Squash CLI Tool is a helper utility built on top of the official Entity Framework Core CLI tool. Its purpose is to squash multiple EF Core migrations into a single migration file when projects accumulate a large migration history.

Important: While this tool exists, squashing migrations is not a recommended practice in most cases. It should only be considered if you fully understand the risks outlined below.

Recommended actions before using the tool

• Always apply all pending migrations to every environment before attempting to squash.
• Prefer keeping the migration history intact - database migrations are lightweight, and EF Core can handle a large number of them.
• Consider squashing only when you have an excessively long migration history (hundreds+) and you fully control all environments.

How the Tool Works

1. Searches for Initial Migration

   • The tool inspects your migration files and prompts you to confirm the initial migration file name that will be recreated after squashing.

2. Generates Backups

   • Creates a SQL script containing all existing migrations for safekeeping.
   • Builds an EF Core migration bundle (a self-contained executable) containing all migrations. This bundle can later be used to manage and apply the pre-squash migrations.

3. Deletes Old Migration Files

   • After backup, all existing migration .cs and Designer.cs files are deleted.

4. Re-creates the Initial Migration

   • Initial migration is overriden, containing the entire schema definition.

Quick Start

Install

dotnet tool install --global dotnet-ef-migrations-squash

Example Workflow

dotnet-ef-migrations-squash --project .\path\to\migrations\project --startup-project .\path\to\startup\project 

• Prompts for the Initial igration name confirmation that will be later overrriden.
• Generates a SQL backup script of all migrations.
• Generates an EF Core bundle for safe rollback and migration management.
• Deletes all migration files.
• Recreates the Initial migration that now includes all previous migrations.

Notes

• This tool is for advanced scenarios only.
• Do not squash migrations unless absolutely necessary.
• Always ensure all environments (local, staging, production, CI/CD) are fully migrated to the latest version before running the tool.