Create a Foreign Key Using "Code First" but actually have the DB First

Question

I have these views in my Sql Server database:

Shipment.Shipment
     * ShipmentId --> PK
     * CourierId

Ref.Courier
     * CourierId --> PK

Since these are views, there are no foreign keys on them. The underlying tables are legacy and also do not have foreign keys.

But I want to have my entity framework model think that there are foreign keys. (Specifically Shipment.Shipment.CourierId => Ref.Courier.CourierId)

I could do this in database first, but I recently switched to "code first" and I can't seem to get it to work using the ForeignKey attribute.

However, I don't really do "Code First". I retrofitted my entity classes from the views in the existing database.

So, using the "code first" syntax, how can I add an association/foreign key to my existing entities? (even though there is not one in the database)

Here is a paired down version of my existing entities:

[Table("Shipment.Shipment")]
public partial class Shipment
{
    [Key]
    [DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.None)]
    public int ShipmentId { get; set; }

    public int CourierId { get; set; }

    [StringLength(50)]
    public string Airbill { get; set; }
}


[Table("Ref.Courier")]
public partial class Courier
{
    [Key]
    [DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.None)]
    public int CourierId { get; set; }

    [StringLength(50)]
    public string CourierName { get; set; }
}

try adding public virtual Courier Courier { get; set; } in shipment class and public virtual Shipment Shipment { get; set; } in courier class — Anshul Nigam
– Anshul Nigam, Commented Feb 19, 2016 at 4:47
@AnshulNigam That did it! So simple! (Though I just needed to add to the shipment class for my scenario). If you want to post as answer I will accept. (Thanks!) — Vaccano
– Vaccano, Commented Feb 19, 2016 at 17:01

Anshul Nigam · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-23 04:44:19Z

1

Change your code to

[Table("Shipment.Shipment")]
public partial class Shipment
{
    [Key]
    [DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.None)]
    public int ShipmentId { get; set; }

    public int CourierId { get; set; }

    /* this will tell EF about relationship with Courier,assuming it is 1-1 */
    public virtual Courier Courier { get; set; }

    [StringLength(50)]
    public string Airbill { get; set; }
}


[Table("Ref.Courier")]
public partial class Courier
{
    [Key]
    [DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.None)]
    public int CourierId { get; set; }

    [StringLength(50)]
    public string CourierName { get; set; }
}

answered Feb 23, 2016 at 4:44

Anshul Nigam

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