Temporal property optimization with Entity Framework - entity-framework

Question

I want to implement temporal properties using an approach similar to that described here, using Entity Framework code-first for database storage.
I want it optimized for getting the current value and have lazy loading for the history, but I don't want to have to add boilerplate code in the parent entity for every usage, as is the approach in the link above.
At the moment I have something like the code below, which by convention results in the database schema as shown below the code.
This will function as I need, but for performance reasons I'd like to avoid the join it requires to get the current property value (i.e. I want to move the TemporalStrings.CurrentValue DB column to Entities.Name instead).
If I try
modelBuilder.Entity<Entity>().Property(o => o.Name.CurrentValue).HasColumnName("Name");
it doesn't work. I get an exception like
The type 'ConsoleApplication1.TemporalString' has already been configured as an entity type. It cannot be reconfigured as a complex type.
Is there some way I can achieve this mapping, or is there a better approach for achieving this functionality?
Code:
public class TemporalString
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string CurrentValue { get; set; } // Setter would be customized to append to History.
public virtual List<TemporalStringValue> History { get; set; }
// Other methods such as string ValueAt(DateTime) would exist.
}
public class TemporalStringValue
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public DateTime EffectiveFrom { get; set; }
public string Value { get; set; }
}
public class Entity
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public virtual TemporalString Name { get; set; }
}
public class TestDbContext : DbContext
{
public DbSet<Entity> Entities { get; set; }
public DbSet<TemporalString> TemporalStrings { get; set; }
public DbSet<TemporalStringValue> TemporalStringValues { get; set; }
protected override void OnModelCreating(DbModelBuilder modelBuilder)
{
//modelBuilder.Entity<Entity>().Property(o => o.Name.CurrentValue).HasColumnName("Name");
// TODO: Map DB column TemporalStrings.CurrentValue to DB column Entities.Name?
}
}
internal class Program
{
private static void Main(string[] args)
{
Database.SetInitializer(new DropCreateDatabaseIfModelChanges<TestDbContext>());
using (var context = new TestDbContext())
{
var entity = new Entity
{
Name = new TemporalString
{
CurrentValue = "Current Value",
History = new List<TemporalStringValue>
{
new TemporalStringValue
{
EffectiveFrom = DateTime.UtcNow,
Value = "Current Value"
},
new TemporalStringValue
{
EffectiveFrom = DateTime.UtcNow.AddMonths(-1),
Value = "Old Value"
},
new TemporalStringValue
{
EffectiveFrom = DateTime.UtcNow.AddMonths(-2),
Value = "Older Value"
}
}
}
};
context.Entities.Add(entity);
context.SaveChanges();
}
Console.Write("Done.");
Console.ReadKey();
}
}
Resulting schema:
Entities
(PK) Id
(FK) Name_Id (references TemporalStrings.Id)
TemporalStrings
(PK) Id
CurrentValue
TemporalStringValues
(PK) Id
EffectiveFrom
Value
(FK) TemporalString_Id
Desired schema:
Entities
(PK) Id
(FK) Name_Id (references TemporalStrings.Id)
Name (formerly TemporalStrings.CurrentValue)
TemporalStrings
(PK) Id
TemporalStringValues
(no change)