Question

If I have a main table, lets say orders, and a sub table of items and the items table has a fields for item number BUT it also has a nullable (optional) field for color that applied only to certain items. How would I update the items table, at the same time as the orders table, using Entity Framework?

Here is a code example of what I have so far. Two problems, I’m only entering one of my items and, from what my research indicates, I can’t add another field to the items table?

    foreach (Guid c in AllItems)
    { Items.OrderItemID = Guid.NewGuid();
      ITemsOrderID = order.OrderID;
      ITems.ItemID = c;
      If (ItemID = ItemThatLetsYouChoseAColorID)
      {
          Items.ItemColorID = ColorID;
      } else {
          Items.ItemColorID = null;
      }
     }
     context.Orders.AddObject(Orders);
     context.Items.AddObject(Items);
     context.SaveChanges();

My Orders table gets a record inserted, and the Items gets ONE record inserted. I’m missing something basic here, I’m afraid. BTW, this is Entity Framework 4.0, which. I believe, does not require the use of EntityKey.

Answer 1

You’re adding an object to the Items collection only one time after the scope of your foreach.

Have you tested something like:

foreach (Guid c in AllItems)
{
    var Item = new Item();

    Item.OrderItemID = Guid.NewGuid();
    Item.OrderID = order.OrderID;
    Item.ItemID = c;
    If (ItemID = ItemThatLetsYouChoseAColorID)
    {
        Item.ItemColorID = ColorID;
    }
    else
    {
        Item.ItemColorID = null;
    }

    context.Items.AddObject(Items);
}

context.Orders.AddObject(order);
context.SaveChanges();

And I’m not sure to understand what you mean by

I can’t add another field to the items table

You should be more precise about what you actually expect. Insert a row, add a column in the table…? What is a “field”?