Question

Maybe a simple question, but I can’t seem to figure it out. Saving a collection to a model when adding a model to the database isn’t working. I have a site which uses asp.net MVC and entity framework.

The models:

public class Event
{
    public int Id { get; set; }

    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Description { get; set; }

    public ICollection<EventRange> Ranges { get; set; }
}

public class EventRange
{
    public int Id { get; set; }

    public string RangeName { get; set; }
    public string RangeDescription { get; set; }

    public int Capacitiy { get; set; }
}

The controller actions:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Create(Event model)
{
    ICollection<EventRange> eventRanges = new Collection<EventRange>();
    var range = new EventRange {RangeName = "testrange", RangeDescription = "test", Capacitiy = 5}

    eventRanges.Add(range);
    model.Ranges = eventRanges;

    db.Events.Add(model);
    db.SaveChanges();

    return View();
}

public ActionResult Events()
{
    return View(db.Events);
}

When setting a breakpoint in the Events action and evaluated the query, the Range isn’t saved to the event:

Code Screenshot

Note that that the database created for the eventrange model by EF does save the range:

EF DB Screenshot

Am I doing something wrong?

Answer 1

What if you mark the Ranges property as virtual?

public virtual ICollection<EventRange> Ranges { get; set; }