Entity Framework not saving update for just one property on just one Entity Type - entity-framework-core

Question

I am using ASP.Net Core MVC and Entity Framework Core in Visual Studio 2017.
We are using a pretty straight forward Repository Pattern.
I'm eight months into this project and this is the first time I am having this strange problem on this one property on this one entity getting saved to the Database on SaveChanges after UpdateChanges.
So here is the flow.
1) I have a Create controller action to save a new entity called Recommendation.
The Recommendation has a parent entity called finding.
When I create a new recommendation I have to update the status on the parent finding. Also the Finding entity has a parent Entity called Audit.
When I edit the finding status I also have to update the audit status.
Here is some code for this.
[HttpPost]
public IActionResult Create(CreateIntRecommendationVM createIntRecommendationVM)
{
int findingId = createIntRecommendationVM.Finding.FindingId;
Finding finding = _findingRepo.Findings
.Include(f => f.Audit)
.Where(f => f.FindingId == findingId)
.FirstOrDefault();
if (RecModelStateIsValid(ModelState))
{
ClaimsPrincipal user = HttpContext.Request.HttpContext.User;
short staffId = short.Parse(user.Claims.Single(c => c.Type == "StaffId").Value);
Recommendation recommendation = createIntRecommendationVM.Recommendation;
recommendation.RecFindingId = findingId;
#region Get Recommendation Number
recommendation.RecCd = GetRecommendationNumber(findingId);
#endregion
recommendation.RecStatusId = 10;
recommendation.RecStaffId = staffId;
recommendation.RecLastUpdateDt = DateTime.Now;
_recommendationRepo.Add(recommendation);
_recommendationRepo.SaveChanges();
bool unresolvedFinding = false;
bool unresolvedAudit = false;
int? oldFindingStatus = finding.FindingStatusId;
if (finding.FindingStatusId != 10)
{
finding.FindingStatusId = 10;
unresolvedFinding = true;
}
if (oldFindingStatus != 10 && finding.Audit.StatusID != 10)
{
finding.Audit.StatusID = 10;
unresolvedAudit = true;
}
_findingRepo.Update(finding);
_findingRepo.SaveChanges();
When I run in debug mode and put a break point and inspect while I am stepping through, I am definately setting finding.FindingStatusId to 10 and finding.Audit.StatusID to 10.
_findingRepo.Update(finding);
hits this repo:
public class FindingRepository : IFindingRepository
{
private ApplicationDbContext context;
public FindingRepository(ApplicationDbContext ctx)
{
context = ctx;
}
public IQueryable<Finding> Findings => context.Findings;
public Finding Get(int id)
{
Finding finding = context.Findings.Find(id);
return finding;
}
public void Add(Finding finding)
{
context.Findings.Add(finding);
}
public void Update(Finding finding)
{
context.Findings.Update(finding);
}
public void Delete(int id)
{
context.Database.ExecuteSqlCommand("sp_delete_finding_int #finding_id = {0}", id);
}
public void SaveChanges()
{
context.SaveChanges();
}
}
So here is the weird part.
finding.Audit.StatusID is getting updated in the DB.
finding.FindingStatusId is not.
So for the entity, "finding" that I am sending to the repo's Update method, the "FindingStatusId" for the entity being updated is not getting saved.
But, the "finding" entity's parent, "Audit", the "StatusID" is getting saved.
I can't for the life of me figure out what is going on here.
For completeness I'll post the Finding and Audit Entity Models.
[Table("finding")]
public class Finding
{
private string _findingText;
[Key]
[Column("finding_id")]
public int FindingId { get; set; }
[Column("finding_audit_id")]
public int FindingAuditId { get; set; }
[Column("finding_cd")]
[Display(Name = "Finding #")]
[StringLength(15)]
public string FindingCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_tx")]
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Description Required")]
[StringLength(7000)]
public string FindingText
{
get
{
return _findingText;
}
set
{
_findingText = value?.Trim();
}
}
[Column("finding_page_cd")]
[StringLength(100)]
public string FindingPageCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_joint_cd")]
public string FindingJointCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_compliance_tx")]
[StringLength(20)]
public string FindingComplianceText { get; set; }
[Column("finding_prior_year_cd")]
[Display(Name = "Repeat Finding")]
public string FindingPriorYearCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_decision_cd")]
public string FindingDecisionCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_request_decision_cd")]
public string FindingRequestDecisionCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_decision_ogc_concur_cd")]
public string FindingDecisionOgcConcurCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_pdl_id")]
public int? FindingPdlId { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Significant")]
[Column("finding_significant_cd")]
public string FindingSignificantCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_on_stay_cd")]
public string FindingOnStayCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_stay_request_cd")]
public string FindingStayRequestCd { get; set; }
[Column("finding_last_update_dt")]
public DateTime FindingLastUpdateDate { get; set; }
[Column("finding_update_staff_id")]
public short? FindingUpdateStaffId { get; set; }
[Column("finding_cd_org")]
public string FindingCdOrg { get; set; }
[NotMapped]
public string RepeatingYearsDisplayList
{
get
{
if (RepeatingYears?.Count > 0)
{
string repeatingYears = string.Empty;
RepeatingYears.ForEach(ry =>
repeatingYears += $"{ry.FindingFyCd}, ");
return repeatingYears.Remove(repeatingYears.Length - 2);
}
return string.Empty;
}
}
#region Navigation Properties
[Column("finding_finding_type_id")]
public short? FindingTypeId { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("FindingTypeId")]
public FindingType FindingType { get; set; }
[Column("finding_status_id")]
public int? FindingStatusId { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("FindingStatusId")]
public Status FindingStatus { get; set; }
public List<FindingFiscalYear> RepeatingYears { get; set; }
public List<Recommendation> Recommendations { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("FindingAuditId")]
public Audit Audit { get; set; }
#endregion
}
[Table("audit")]
public class Audit
{
private string _auditAcnCd;
private string _title;
private string _summary;
[Key]
[Column("audit_id")]
public int AuditID { get; set; }
[Required(ErrorMessage = "ACN Required")]
[Display(Name="ACN:")]
[Column("audit_acn_cd")]
public string AuditAcnCd
{
get
{
return _auditAcnCd;
}
set
{
_auditAcnCd = value?.Trim();
}
}
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Title Required")]
[Display(Name = "Title:")]
[Column("audit_report_title_tx")]
public string Title
{
get
{
return _title;
}
set
{
_title = value?.Trim();
}
}
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Issuer Required")]
[Display(Name="Issuer:")]
[Column("audit_issuer_tx")]
public string Issuer { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Sensitive Designation")]
[Column("audit_sensitive_cd")]
public string AuditSensitiveCode { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Alternative Product")]
[Column("audit_alternate_product_cd")]
public string AuditAlternateProductCode { get; set; }
[RegularExpression("([1-9][0-9]*)", ErrorMessage = "Priority must be a number.")]
[Display(Name = "Priority:")]
[Column("audit_priority_cd")]
public short? Priority { get; set; }
[StringLength(maximumLength: 1000,ErrorMessage = "Max Length: 1000")]
[Display(Name = "Summary:")]
[Column("audit_summary_tx")]
public string Summary
{
get
{
return _summary;
}
set
{
_summary = value?.Trim();
}
}
[Column("audit_gao_contact_tx")]
[Display(Name = "GAO Contact:")]
[StringLength(maximumLength: 200, ErrorMessage = "Max Length: 200")]
public string AuditGaoContactText { get; set; }
[Column("audit_gao_job_cd")]
[Display(Name = "GAO Job Code:")]
[StringLength(maximumLength: 200, ErrorMessage = "Max Length: 30")]
public string AuditGaoJobCode { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Lead Office:")]
[Column("audit_lead_office_id")]
public short? LeadOfficeID { get; set; }
#region Navigation Properties
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Audit Type Required.")]
[Display(Name = "Audit Type:")]
[Column("audit_audit_type_id")]
public short AuditTypeID { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Audit Type:")]
public AuditType AuditType { get; set; }
[Column("audit_status_id")]
public int StatusID { get; set; }
public Status Status { get; set; }
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Office is Required.")]
[Display(Name = "Offices:")]
[Column("audit_office_id")]
public short? OfficeID { get; set; }
public Office Office { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("AuditID")]
public External External { get; set; }
public IEnumerable<AuditLog> AuditLogs { get; set; }
public IEnumerable<Finding> Findings { get; set; }
public IEnumerable<Assignment> Assignments { get; set; }
[Column("audit_update_staff_id")]
public short UpdateStaffID { get; set; }
[Column("audit_oig_manager_id")]
[Display(Name = "OIG Audit Manager:")]
public short? OigAuditManagerId { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "OIG Audit Manager:")]
[ForeignKey("OigAuditManagerId")]
public Staff OigAuditManager { get; set; }
[Column("audit_fsa_office_id")]
[Display(Name = "FSA Audit Lead:")]
public int? FsaLeadOfficeId { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "FSA Audit Lead:")]
[ForeignKey("FsaLeadOfficeId")]
public FSAOffice FsaLeadOffice { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("LeadOfficeID")]
public Office LeadOffice { get; set; }
#endregion
}

Answer 1

Well just as I was hoping I opened it back up this morning, started fresh, and it's working.
Ivan, I believe you are right. You don't need to call Update for Entity Framework. I've noticed this before if I forget the Update statement.
And if you don't need to you are making a call to update in the repo for no reason.
I was resetting scenarios by hand in the DB to test this over and over. Something must have gotten corrupt.
But all the code above is working if it helps anyone.