composite key as foreign key
I am using Entity framework 4.1 in MVC 3 application. I have an entity where I have primary key consists of two columns ( composite key). And this is being used in another entity as foreign key. How to create the relationship ? In normal scnerios we use :
public class Category
{
public string CategoryId { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}
public class Product
{
public int ProductId { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public string CategoryId { get; set; }
public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}
but what if category has two columns key ?
You can use either fluent API:
public class Category
{
public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}
public class Product
{
public int ProductId { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}
public class Context : DbContext
{
public DbSet<Category> Categories { get; set; }
public DbSet<Product> Products { get; set; }
protected override void OnModelCreating(DbModelBuilder modelBuilder)
{
base.OnModelCreating(modelBuilder);
modelBuilder.Entity<Category>()
.HasKey(c => new {c.CategoryId1, c.CategoryId2});
modelBuilder.Entity<Product>()
.HasRequired(p => p.Category)
.WithMany(c => c.Products)
.HasForeignKey(p => new {p.CategoryId1, p.CategoryId2});
}
}
Or data annotations:
public class Category
{
[Key, Column(Order = 0)]
public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
[Key, Column(Order = 1)]
public int CategoryId3 { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}
public class Product
{
[Key]
public int ProductId { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("Category"), Column(Order = 0)]
public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("Category"), Column(Order = 1)]
public int CategoryId3 { get; set; }
public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}
I believe the easiest way is to use Data Annotation on the Navigation property like this:
[ForeignKey("CategoryId1, CategoryId2")]
public class Category
{
[Key, Column(Order = 0)]
public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
[Key, Column(Order = 1)]
public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}
public class Product
{
[Key]
public int ProductId { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("CategoryId1, CategoryId2")]
public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}