Entity Framework can't handle a simple table variable?

Question

• The last line in the stored procedure: select * from @t
• Updated model and it found the stored procedure
• Tried to import a new function using the wizard and it said no columns could be found.

Seriously? Someone tell me that it lies.

create procedure WorkIt
as
set nocount on

create table #pivot
(
    Name varchar(30),
    Value decimal,
    Grade varchar(2)
)

insert into #pivot
select 'Repeating Pct', 1, 'K'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 2, '1'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 3, '2'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 4, '3'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 5, '4'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 6, '5'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 7, '6'  
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 8, '7'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 9, '8'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 10, '9'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 11, '10'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 12, '11'
union all
select 'Repeating Pct', 13, '12'
declare @t table
(
    name varchar(30),
    K decimal (15,5) ,
    [1] decimal (15,5),
    [10] decimal (15,5),
    [11] decimal (15,5),
    [12] decimal (15,5),
    [2] decimal (15,5),
    [3] decimal (15,5),
    [4] decimal (15,5),
    [5] decimal (15,5),
    [6] decimal (15,5),
    [7] decimal (15,5),
    [8] decimal (15,5),
    [9] decimal (15,5)
)
insert into @t
exec dbo.CrossTabWithoutSumWithOrderBy #pivot, 'Name', null, 'Grade', 'Value', 
    -- sort repeating pct to bottom
    'case name when ''Repeating Pct'' then 999 else 0 end'

drop table #pivot
select * from @t

Result

name    K   1   10  11  12  2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9
Repeating Pct   2.00000 11.00000    12.00000    13.00000    3.00000 4.00000 5.00000 6.00000 7.00000 8.00000 9.00000 10.00000    1.00000

Answer 1

When entity framework tries to retrieve columns from stored procedure it calls SET FMTONLY ON and after that executes the stored procedure. When FMTONLY is ON execution returns only metadata and it doesn't work with some advanced construction in stored procedures - for example dynamic SQL, temporary tables and also table variables.

You have three choices:

• As described in another answer add SET FMTONLY OFF at beginning of your stored procedure. This will cause your stored procedure to really execute so make sure it only reads data - any insert, update or delete will be executed each time you try to retrieve columns!
• Manually define complex type
• Modify your stored procedure to not use any of this features