Entity Framework Core add unique constraint code-first

On EF core you cannot create Indexes using data annotations.But you can do it using the Fluent API.

Like this inside your {Db}Context.cs:

protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder builder)
{
    builder.Entity<User>()
        .HasIndex(u => u.Email)
        .IsUnique();
}

...or if you're using the overload with the buildAction:

protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder builder)
{
    builder.Entity<User>(entity => {
        entity.HasIndex(e => e.Email).IsUnique();
    });
}

You can read more about it here : Indexes


Also if you want to create Unique constrains on multiple columns you can simply do this (following @Sampath's link)

class MyContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Person> People { get; set; }

    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        modelBuilder.Entity<Person>()
            .HasIndex(p => new { p.FirstName, p.LastName })
            .IsUnique(true);
    }
}

public class Person
{
    public int PersonId { get; set; }
    public string FirstName { get; set; }
    public string LastName { get; set; }
}

Since Entity Framework Core (EF Core) 5.0 we can configure Unique Indexes via Data Annotations.

It is little different to e.g. EF6, because we cannot set it on the property itself but instead on the class.

[Index(nameof(EmailAddress), IsUnique = true)]
public class User
{
    [Key]
    public Guid Id { get; set; }

    [Required]
    public string FullName { get; set; }

    [Required]
    public string EmailAddress { get; set; }
}

For further information on Indexes and Data Annotations see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/modeling/indexes?tabs=data-annotations


Solution for EF Core

public class User
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Passport { get; set; }
}

public class ApplicationContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<User> Users { get; set; }
    public ApplicationContext()
    {
        Database.EnsureCreated();
    }
    protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder optionsBuilder)
    {
        optionsBuilder.UseSqlServer(@"Server=(localdb)\mssqllocaldb;Database=efbasicsappdb;Trusted_Connection=True;");
    }

    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        modelBuilder.Entity<User>().HasAlternateKey(u => u.Passport);
        //or: modelBuilder.Entity<User>().HasAlternateKey(u => new { u.Passport, u.Name})
    }
}

DB table will look like this:

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Users] (
    [Id]       INT            IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL,
    [Name]     NVARCHAR (MAX) NULL,
    [Passport] NVARCHAR (450) NOT NULL,
    CONSTRAINT [PK_Users] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([Id] ASC),
    CONSTRAINT [AK_Users_Passport] UNIQUE NONCLUSTERED ([Passport] ASC)
);

Ref to EF Core docs


To use it in EF core via model configuration

public class ApplicationCompanyConfiguration : IEntityTypeConfiguration<Company>
{
    public void Configure(EntityTypeBuilder<Company> builder)
    {
        builder.ToTable("Company"); 
        builder.HasIndex(p => p.Name).IsUnique();
    }
}