how to use views in code first entity framework [closed]

Question

How can I use the database view in entity framework code first,

Answer 1

If, like me, you are interested only in mapping entity coming from an other database (an erp in my case) to relate them to entities specific of your application, then you can use the views as you use a table (map the view in the same way!). Obviously, if you try to update that entities, you will get an exception if the view is not updatable. The procedure is the same as in the case of normal (based on a table) entities:

1. Create a POCO class for the view; for example FooView

2. Add the DbSet property in the DbContext class

3. Use a FooViewConfiguration file to set a different name for the view (using ToTable("Foo"); in the constructor) or to set particular properties

   public class FooViewConfiguration : EntityTypeConfiguration<FooView>       {     public FooViewConfiguration()     {         this.HasKey(t => t.Id);         this.ToTable("myView");     } } 

4. Add the FooViewConfiguration file to the modelBuilder, for example overriding the OnModelCreating method of the Context:

   protected override void OnModelCreating(DbModelBuilder modelBuilder) {     modelBuilder.Configurations.Add(new FooViewConfiguration ()); } 

Answer 2

This may be an update but to use views with EF Code first simply add [Table("NameOfView")] to the top of the class and all should work right without having to go through all the hoops everyone else is going through. Also you will have to report one of the columns as a [key] column. Here is my sample code below to implement it.

using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations; using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.Schema;  namespace SomeProject.Data {     [Table("SomeView")]     public class SomeView     {         [Key]         public int NameID { get; set; }         public string Name { get; set; }     } } 

And here is what the context looks like

using System.Data.Entity;  namespace SomeProject.Data {     public class DatabaseContext : DbContext     {         public DbSet<SomeView> SomeViews { get; set; }     } }