DbSet property of type class returns null - entity-framework

Question

I'm creating an API for an app. The DbContext I have trouble with looks like this:
public class SchoolPlannerDbContext : DbContext
{
public SchoolPlannerDbContext(DbContextOptions<SchoolPlannerDbContext> options) : base(options) { }
public DbSet<Activity> Activities { get; set; }
public DbSet<Room> Rooms { get; set; }
public DbSet<Subject> Subjects { get; set; }
public DbSet<Teacher> Teachers { get; set; }
public DbSet<Group> Groups { get; set; }
}
The Activity class is as follows:
public class Activity
{
public int ID { get; set; }
[Required]
public Teacher Teacher { get; set; }
[Required]
public Room Room { get; set; }
[Required]
public Subject Subject { get; set; }
[Required]
public Group Group { get; set; }
[Required]
public int Slot { get; set; }
[Required]
public int Day { get; set; }
}
All the other properties contain an int ID and a string Name.
My controller looks like this:
public class SqlPlannerData : ISchoolPlannerData
{
private readonly SchoolPlannerDbContext db;
public SqlPlannerData(SchoolPlannerDbContext db)
{
this.db = db;
}
public IEnumerable<Activity> GetActivities()
{
return db.Activities;
}
public IEnumerable<Group> GetGroups()
{
return db.Groups;
}
}
GetGroups() works as intended and returns an IEnumerable with properties set correctly.
My problem is that when I'm trying to access db.Activities, the properties of type, say, Teacher (non-basic types like int) are set to null:
Debugger screenshot.
However, there is a row in the database that looks like this. I.e. the columns exist in the database.
What do I do to make GetActivities() return an IEnumerable with correctly set properties?

Answer 1

Some properties are null because of lazy loading you need to include them
return db.Activities
.Include(i => i.Teacher)
.Include(i => i.Room)
.Include(i => i.Subject)
.Include(i => i.Group)
.ToList()
Each propety Id can be configured by EF5+ as shadows. But I usually prefer to add all Ids explicitely. This way I have much less problem when I am using db context in the project. But is is optional and you can leave it as is
public class Activity
{
public int ID { get; set; }
[Required]
public int? TeacherId { get; set; }
[Required]
public int? RoomId { get; set; }
[Required]
public int? SubjectId { get; set; }
[Required]
public int? GroupId { get; set; }
public virtual Teacher Teacher { get; set; }
public virtual Room Room { get; set; }
public virtual Subject Subject { get; set; }
public virtual Group Group { get; set; }
[Required]
public int Slot { get; set; }
[Required]
public int Day { get; set; }
}
and in order to get list activities you have to add ToList() or ToArray() at least
public IEnumerable<Activity> GetActivities()
{
return db.Activities.ToArray();
}
and by the way, you can' t using not nullabe Id as required becaue it is relevant
[Required]
public int TeacherId { get; set; }
since int by default is 0 and it is a valid value and required will not be working