Having some experience with Linq to SQL I'm trying out ADO Entity framework now. In Linq to SQL, I would create a Linq to SQL class, drag my tables across to build the data context. Then I'd instantiate the datacontext class and run some lambda against one of the properties in the datacontext class.
Now, with ADO entity framework I add the Entity Data Model class, and add the tables to the data model. My Entity Data Model class now has a bunch of ObjectQuery<> properties, one for each table I added.
Now what do I do with those properties? How do I call them? Anyone have code examples?
Sure. I have a long presentation on this.
As a simple answer to your question, here are some things you can do with the ObjectQuery<T> properties.
Return a list of objects:
IEnumerable<Customer> result = Context.Customers;
return result;
Return one object:
return Context.Customers.Where(c => c.Id == someId).First();
Project onto a presentation model:
return (from c in Customers
where c.Id == someId
select new CustomerPresentation
{
Id = c.Id,
Name = c.Name,
OrderCount = c.Orders.Count(),
PhoneNumbers = from p in c.PhoneNumbers
select new PhoneNumberPresentation
{
AreaCode = p.AreaCode,
// etc.
},
// etc.
}).First();
Related
I'm developing a client app that uses breezejs and Entity Framework 6 on the back end. I've got a statement like this:
var country = 'Mexico';
var customers = EntityQuery.from('customers')
.where('country', '==', country)
.expand('order')
I want to use There may be hundreds of orders that each customer has made. For the purposes of performance, I only want to retrieve the latest order for each customer. This will be based on the created date for the order. In SQL, I could write something like this:
SELECT c.customerId, companyName, ContactName, City, Country, max(o.OrderDate) as LatestOrder FROM Customers c
inner join Orders o on c.CustomerID = o.CustomerID
group by c.customerId, companyName, ContactName, City, Country
If this was run against the northwind database, only the most recent order row is returned for each customer.
How can I write a similar query in breeze, so that it runs on the server side and therefore returns less data to the client. I know I could handle this all on the client but writing some javascript in a querysucceeded method that could be run by the client - but that's not the goal here.
thanks
For a case like this, you should create a special endpoint method that will perform your query.
Then you can use an Entity Framework query to do what you want, using the LINQ syntax.
Here are two Web API examples:
[HttpGet]
public IQueryable<Object> CustomersLatestOrderEntities()
{
// IQueryable<Object> containing Customer and Order entity
var entities = ContextProvider.Context.Customers.Select(c => new { Customer = c, LatestOrder = c.Orders.OrderByDescending(o => o.OrderDate).FirstOrDefault() });
return entities;
}
[HttpGet]
public IQueryable<Object> CustomersLatestOrderProjections()
{
// IQueryable<Object> containing Customer and Order entity
var entities = ContextProvider.Context.Customers.Select(c => new { Customer = c, LatestOrder = c.Orders.OrderByDescending(o => o.OrderDate).FirstOrDefault() });
// IQueryable<Object> containing just data fields, no entities
var projections = entities.Select(e => new { e.Customer.CustomerID, e.Customer.ContactName, e.LatestOrder.OrderDate });
return projections;
}
Note that you have a choice here. You can return actual entities, or you can return just some data fields. Which is right for you depends upon how you are going to use them on the client. If they are just for display in a
non-editable list, you can just return the plain data (CustomersLatestOrderProjections above). If they can potentially
be edited, then return the object containing the entities (CustomersLatestOrderEntities). Breeze will merge the entities
into its cache, even though they are contained inside this anonymous object.
Either way, because it returns IQueryable, you can use the Breeze filtering syntax from the client to further qualify the query.
var projectionQuery = breeze.EntityQuery.from("CustomersLatestOrderProjections")
.skip(20)
.take(10);
var entityQuery = breeze.EntityQuery.from("CustomersLatestOrderEntities")
.where('customer.countryName', 'startsWith', 'C');
.take(10);
I am in the process of converting an application that uses LINQ to SQL over to LINQ to Entities. I use a repository pattern and I have run in a problem that works in LINQ to SQL but not Entities.
In my data layer, I use LINQ statements to fill my object graph so that none of my database entities are exposed anywhere else. In this example, I have a Lookup Respository that returns a list of Categories. It looks like this:
public IQueryable<Entities.DomainModels.Category> getCategories()
{
return (from c in Categories
where !c.inactive
orderby c.categoryName
select new Entities.DomainModels.Category
{
id = c.categoryID,
category = c.categoryName,
inactive = c.inactive
});
}
Later, I want to put the categories into a sub query and it looks like this:
var d = from p in Programs
let categories = (from pc in p.Categories
join c in getCategories() on pc.categoryID equals c.id
select c)
select new
{
id = p.id,
title = p.title
categories = categories.ToList()
};
When I run this, I get the following error:
LINQ to Entities does not recognize the method 'System.Linq.IQueryable`1[Entities.DomainModels.Category] getCategories()' method, and this method cannot be translated into a store expression.
For reference, the following works though it doesn't return the data I need (it's basically a join):
var q = from p in Programs
from pc in p.Categories
join c in getCategories() on pc.categoryID equals c.id
select new
{
id = p.id,
category = c
};
I understand what the error means in concept however LINQ to SQL would make it work. I have this pattern throughout my data layer and I really want to keep it. Should this be working? If not, how can I modify it without mixing my layers.
You cant pass getCategories() to EF.
The query must be destructible to expression tree.
Calculate getCategories() first.
eg
var simpleList = getCategories().Select(id).Tolist;
then use a contains
where(t=> simpleList.Contains(t.CatId) // or the query syntax equivalent
Im trying to call a stored procedure using Entity framework.
If I go direcly to the web api method it works fine, but when calling it from breeze it causes an exception on the metadata method.
The error is :
"Could not find the CLR type for...".
Anyone know how to fix this?
I had the very same issue, but thank God I figured out a solution. Instead of using a stored procedure, you should use a view, as Breeze recognizes views as DbSet<T>, just like tables. Say you have a SQL server table that contains two tables Customers and Orders.
Customers (**CustomerId**, FirstName, LastName)
Orders (OrderId, #CustomerId, OrderDate, OrderTotal)
Now, say you want a query that returns orders by CustomerId. Usually, you would do that in a stored procedure, but as I said, you need to use a view instead. So the query will look like this in the view.
Select o.OrderId, c.CustomerId, o.OrderDate, o.OrderTotal
from dbo.Orders o inner join dbo.Customers c on c.CustomerId = o.CustomerId
Notice there is no filtering (where ...). So:
i. Create a [general] view that includes the filtering key(s) and name it, say, OrdersByCustomers
ii. Add the OrdersByCustomers view to the entity model in your VS project
iii. Add the entity to the Breeze controller, as such:
public IQueryable<OrdersByCustomers> OrdersByCustomerId(int id)
{
return _contextProvider.Context.OrdersByCustomers
.Where(r => r.CustomerId == id);
}
Notice the .Where(r => r.CustomerId == id) filter. We could do it in the data service file, but because we want the user to see only his personal data, we need to filter from the server so it only returns his data.
iv. Now, that the entity is set in the controller, you may invoke it in the data service file, as such:
var getOrdersByCustomerId = function(orderObservable, id)
{
var query = breeze.EntityQuery.from('OrdersByCustomerId')
.WithParameters({ CustomerId: id });
return manager.executeQuery(query)
.then(function(data) {
if (orderObservable) orderObservable(data.results);
}
.fail(function(e) {
logError('Retrieve Data Failed');
}
}
v. You probably know what to do next from here.
Hope it helps.
My ADO.Net Entity Data Model has a model called ABC below (modeled after a self-referencing table).
ABC Properties are
----------
ParentID
Child ID
ABC Navigation Properties are
----------
ParentCategory (refers to the parent category or the 0..1 side of the relationship)
SubCategories (refers to the children or the * side of the relationship, represents the navigation property for the children)
I want to select the children and grandchildren for a specific ParentID (i.e. not the top of the hierarchy ). How can I accomplish this. Can someone please propose an example. Thanks
I have tried the solution proposed below in vb, but it is only loading one level;
I am doing this in VB so apologies to C# programmers.
Protected Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
Dim ctx = New links2Entities
Dim query = From c In ctx.PBS.Include("SubCategory.SubCategory") Where (c.Parent_ID = 7)
For Each result As PB In query
Debug.WriteLine("ID: {0}", result.Child_ID)
Next
End Sub
If you need to select entity by its Id and eager load two levels of its children you need to do:
var query = context.ABC.Include("SubCategories.SubCategories")
.Where(e => e.Id == id);
In case of EF 4.1 it should be:
var query = context.ABS.Include(e => e.SubCategories.Select(s => s.SubCategories))
.Where(e => e.Id == id);
If you need to eager load all sub categories in any depth there is not way to tell it EF.
I have a many to many relationship in EF4 with the following entities:
[Student] - [Class] - [Student_Class]
Moreover i have a [School] entity with a FK on [Student].
If i want to have all the Students of my school i do:
context.School.Include("Student")
but if i want to have the 1rst class of my Students in my school ?
context.School.Include("Student").Include("Student_Class").Where(...
i did not manage to make this thing work...
Can you help ?
Also is it more intelligent to write a full Linq select?
Thanks
John
If you want to do a conditional eager load, then you should NOT be using the Include method.
For loading your school object containing only the students that belong to the first class
You can do a Filtered Projection which returns an Anonymous Type object:
var school = context.School
.Where(s => s.SchoolID == 1) // or any other predicate
.Select(s => new
{
School = s,
Students = s.Student.Where(st => st.ClassID == 1)
}).ToList();
Another way would be to Leverage Attach Method which returns EntityObject:
var school = context.School.Where(s => s.SchoolID == 1).First()
var sourceQuery = school.Students.CreateSourceQuery()
.Where(st => st.ClassID == 1);
school.Students.Attach(sourceQuery);
For a more detailed discussion about this, you can also check:
Entity Framework: How to query data in a Navigation property table