c# - Mapping a foreign key with a custom column name

Question

I'm using Entity Framework 4.3 code-first with Oracle. I'm getting the following error:

System.InvalidOperationException : The ForeignKeyAttribute on property 'WidgetSequence' on type 'WidgetDistributor.WidgetEntity' is not valid. The foreign key name 'WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID' was not found on the dependent type 'WidgetDistributor.WidgetEntity'. The Name value should be a comma separated list of foreign key property names.

My entities are like this:

[Table("WIDGETENTITIES")]
public class WidgetEntity {

    [Column("WIDGETENTITY_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID")]
    public WidgetSequence Sequence { get; set; }

    // and other properties that map correctly
}

[Table("WIDGETSEQUENCES")]
public class WidgetSequence { 

    [Column("WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [Column("NUMBER")]
    public int Number { get; set; }
}

My code seems correct. What have I done wrong, here?

Answer 1

If you don't want to use fluent syntax, there are three other ways of implementing the reference using data annotations (Personally I prefer data annotations as they seem easier to read and are written just above the property they are affecting):

1.1) Use ForeignKey (with an associated property) - version 1

[Table("WIDGETENTITIES")]
public class WidgetEntity {

    [Column("WIDGETENTITY_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [Column("WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID")]
    public int WidgetSequenceId { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("WidgetSequenceId")] //Has to be a property name, not table column name
    public WidgetSequence Sequence { get; set; }

    // and other properties that map correctly
}

[Table("WIDGETSEQUENCES")]
public class WidgetSequence { 

    [Column("WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [Column("NUMBER")]
    public int Number { get; set; }
}

1.2) Use ForeignKey (with an associated property) - version 2

[Table("WIDGETENTITIES")]
public class WidgetEntity {

    [Column("WIDGETENTITY_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("Sequence")] //Has to be a property name, not table column name
    [Column("WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID")]
    public int WidgetSequenceId { get; set; }

    public WidgetSequence Sequence { get; set; }

    // and other properties that map correctly
}

[Table("WIDGETSEQUENCES")]
public class WidgetSequence { 

    [Column("WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [Column("NUMBER")]
    public int Number { get; set; }
}

2) You can also use the InversePropertyAttribute.

[Table("WIDGETENTITIES")]
public class WidgetEntity {

    [Column("WIDGETENTITY_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [InverseProperty("WidgetEntities")]
    public WidgetSequence Sequence { get; set; }

    // and other properties that map correctly
}

[Table("WIDGETSEQUENCES")]
public class WidgetSequence { 

    [Column("WIDGETSEQUENCE_ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [Column("NUMBER")]
    public int Number { get; set; }

    public virtual List<WidgetEntity> WidgetEntities { get; set; }
}