Entity Framework MySQL tinyint(1) System.Boolean.Parse FormatException

Question

I'm using EntityFramework 6 in my C# model-first project which using a MySQL database. Everything was fine and I could generate my database without problem.

Then I modified my .edmx file using the designer and here started the problems I have.

• First the designer doesn't update the CSDL content and the C-S mapping content sections of the .edmx file anymore. So I updated the content myself and could finally compile the project.

Here's the .edmx file as it is right now and what it looks like in the designer:

EDMX File: http://pastebin.com/Xer9UyNR

And here is the link for the designer view: http://i.stack.imgur.com/Vcv9W.png

• Second (and most important one), I get a FormatException when EF tries to get a tinyint coming from my database and change its type into a boolean.

    à ArmoireOutils.App.OnNavigateMessageHandler(OnNavigateMessage message) dans c:\Users\JB\Desktop\CodingFrance\ArmoireOutils\ArmoireOutils\App.xaml.cs:line 101System.FormatException: String was not recognized as a valid Boolean..
    à System.Boolean.Parse(String value)
    à System.String.System.IConvertible.ToBoolean(IFormatProvider provider)
    à System.Convert.ChangeType(Object value, Type conversionType, IFormatProvider provider)
    à MySql.Data.Entity.EFMySqlDataReader.ChangeType(Object sourceValue, Type targetType)
    à MySql.Data.Entity.EFMySqlDataReader.GetValue(Int32 ordinal)
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper.ErrorHandlingValueReader`1.GetUntypedValueDefault(DbDataReader reader, Int32 ordinal)
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper.ErrorHandlingValueReader`1.GetValue(DbDataReader reader, Int32 ordinal)
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper.GetPropertyValueWithErrorHandling[TProperty](Int32 ordinal, String propertyName, String typeName)
    à lambda_method(Closure , Shaper )
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper.HandleEntityAppendOnly[TEntity](Func`2 constructEntityDelegate, EntityKey entityKey, EntitySet entitySet)
    à lambda_method(Closure , Shaper )
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Coordinator`1.ReadNextElement(Shaper shaper)
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper`1.RowNestedResultEnumerator.MaterializeRow()
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper`1.RowNestedResultEnumerator.MoveNext()
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper`1.ObjectQueryNestedEnumerator.TryReadToNextElement()
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper`1.ObjectQueryNestedEnumerator.ReadElement()
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Common.Internal.Materialization.Shaper`1.ObjectQueryNestedEnumerator.MoveNext()
    à System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyEnumerator`1.MoveNext()
    à System.Linq.Enumerable.SingleOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Objects.ELinq.ObjectQueryProvider.<GetElementFunction>b__2[TResult](IEnumerable`1 sequence)
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Objects.ELinq.ObjectQueryProvider.ExecuteSingle[TResult](IEnumerable`1 query, Expression queryRoot)
    à System.Data.Entity.Core.Objects.ELinq.ObjectQueryProvider.System.Linq.IQueryProvider.Execute[TResult](Expression expression)
    à System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.DbQueryProvider.Execute[TResult](Expression expression)
    à System.Linq.Queryable.SingleOrDefault[TSource](IQueryable`1 source)
    à ArmoireOutils.Services.DataService.GetCupboardByGuid(String guid) dans c:\Users\JB\Desktop\CodingFrance\ArmoireOutils\ArmoireOutils\Services\DataService.cs:line 202

Here is my GetCupboardByGUID method:

public Cupboard GetCupboardByGuid(String guid)
    {
        using (var context = new ArmoireOutilsEntities())
        {
            var cupboard = (from a in context.Cupboards
                where a.GUID.Equals(guid)
                select a)
                .Include("ResidentTools")
                .Include("Tools")
                .Include("Users") //If I remove this, .SingleOrDefault() works fine.
                .SingleOrDefault(); //Throw FormatException when getting the User.Active value from the database.

            if (cupboard != null)
                cupboard.RefreshLists();

            return cupboard;
        }
    }

And here is my User class generated by the .edmx tt:

public partial class User
{
    public User()
    {
        this.Tools = new ObservableCollection<Tool>();
        this.Cupboards = new ObservableCollection<Cupboard>();
        this.Active = true;
    }

    public int Id { get; set; }
    public short Type { get; set; }
    public string Firstname { get; set; }
    public string LastName { get; set; }
    public string Login { get; set; }
    public short Gender { get; set; }
    public short LangId { get; set; }
    public string Photo { get; set; }
    public System.DateTime CreationDate { get; set; }
    public Nullable<System.DateTime> ModificationDate { get; set; }
    public Nullable<System.DateTime> LastConnection { get; set; }
    public Nullable<System.DateTime> DisableDate { get; set; }
    public bool Active { get; set; }

    public virtual Lang Lang { get; set; }
    public virtual IList<Tool> Tools { get; set; }
    public virtual IList<Cupboard> Cupboards { get; set; }
}

So I guess EF is iterating over all users from the DB who are in the cupboarduser (the table linking a user to a cupboard for the many-to-many relationship) and when it comes to set the Active value for the first user, it gets 1 from the DB getting it as a String first and then try to parse that string into a boolean using System.Boolean.Parse but thaat method doesn't support numbers like "1" for true (the field in the DB is a tinyint(1)).

So why EF is not able to understand it was a tinyint so he can't use it in System.Boolean.Parse ?

I tried to regenerate the entire .edmx file from the database => Same exception

I tried to regenerate the entire .edmx file from scratch => Same exception

I don't understand why because I didn't modify the User model so the Active field was already there and was working just fine.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance.

Best regards, theCivilian

Answer 1

This can also be achieved using the Column data attribute within the Entity.

[Column("Active", TypeName = "bit")]
[DefaultValue(false)]
public bool Active { get; set; }