Default bool to false when null in database with Entity Framework 4.1 Code First

Question

How can I set the default value when a value (bit) in the database is set to NULL. Right now I'm getting a error telling me that it can't be NULL when loading a bool from the database.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Your model has to match the database - if the database may have a NULL value you should use a nullable bool in your model - you can however overwrite the setter for that property in your model to turn a NULL into a false value:

public class Foo
{
    private bool _bar;
    public bool? Bar
    {
        get { return _bar; }
        set
        {
            if (!value.HasValue)
            {
                _bar = false;
            }
            else
                _bar = value.Value;
        }
    }
}

Ideally you should avoid this situation and set a default value in your database column - then you don't need this workaround.