Question

I can’t figure out why this configuration won’t generate an insert statement to the db. I’m checking via SQL Profiler.

Here is my model via Visio:

Here is my edmx (this is database first). The circle shows the self referencing relationship back to GeoBoundary.

Here is my code:

public void UpdateAssocs(Dictionary<int, List<int>> fromTo) {
  //iterate through each dictionary entry
  foreach (KeyValuePair<int, List<int>> entry in fromTo) {
    using (TransactionScope scope = new TransactionScope()) {
      //get a reference to the parent geoboundary for this entry
      GeoBoundary parent = contactContext.GeoBoundaries
        .FirstOrDefault(x => x.GeoID == entry.Key);
      //test to see if the parent is null, it shouldn't be b/c this dictionary was generated 
      // from a list of database values (but shit happens so throw an error if it is null)
      if (parent != null) {
        foreach (int childID in entry.Value) {
          //check to see if the child exists in the parents list of children
          GeoBoundary child = parent.GeoBoundaryAssocTo
            .FirstOrDefault(x => x.GeoID == childID);
          if (child == null) {
            //get a ref to the GeoBoundary that SHOULD be tied to the parent (it should exist but there just 
            // isn't an established relationship in the db)
            child = contactContext.GeoBoundaries
              .FirstOrDefault(x => x.GeoID == childID);
            //check the damn thing again b/c you never want to assume...
            // but if it's still null then do nothing!
            if (child != null) {
              parent.GeoBoundaryAssocTo.Add(child);                  
              contactContext.SaveChanges();
            }
          }
        }
      }
      else {
        throw new Exception(@"Parent GeoID passed to UpdateAssocs method or GeoID is null.");
      }
      scope.Complete();
    }
  }
}

When I get to parent.GeoBoundaryAssocTo.Add(child); in the debugger I made sure that parent and child both exist, then I step through but I get nothing in profiler. What gives? Is it a problem that both entities already exist in the db and I’m not changing anything but the relationship? If so then how can I mark the relationship as changed so EF will generate the insert?

EDMX Details:

    <AssociationSet Name="GeoBoundaryAssociation" Association="Contact.GeoBoundaryAssociation">
      <End Role="GeoBoundary" EntitySet="GeoBoundaries" />
      <End Role="GeoBoundary1" EntitySet="GeoBoundaries" />
    </AssociationSet>

    <Association Name="GeoBoundaryAssociation">
      <End Type="Contact.GeoBoundary" Role="GeoBoundary" Multiplicity="*" />
      <End Type="Contact.GeoBoundary" Role="GeoBoundary1" Multiplicity="*" />
    </Association>

Answer 1

Well I’m the source of my own woes. I didn’t realize that I was reusing my contactContext (instantiated as a service class) and in an earlier method method call I had set AutoDetectChangesEnabled = false;. All I needed to do was switch the change tracking back on. Somehow it never occurred to me that the service class had maintained it’s state from previous calls. Live and learn.