Question

This is probably just because my knowledge with the EF Code First fluent API is lacking, but I’m stumped.

I want to model the following:

• A Groups collection with Id and Name
• A Users collection with Id and Name
• Each user is assigned to exactly one primary group
• Each user may have zero or many secondary groups

The table structure I’m going for would look like:

Groups

• Id
• Name

Users

• Id
• Name
• PrimaryGroupId

SecondaryGroupAssignments

• UserId
• GroupId

I’ve been beating my head against a wall trying to model this with EF Code First, but I can’t get it to accept both relationships between User and Group. Sorry for not posting any .NET code (I’m happy to), but it’s probably all wrong anyway.

Is there a way to make EF model this? I’m assuming I have to do some sort of configuration with the Fluent API. Maybe a better question is: is there any good, definitive reference for the Fluent API?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Try this (untested):

public class Group 
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }

    public virtual ICollection<User> PrimaryUsers { get; set; }
    public virtual ICollection<User> SecondaryUsers { get; set; } 
}

public class User
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int PrimaryGroupId { get; set; }

    public virtual Group PrimaryGroup { get; set; }
    public virtual ICollection<Group> SecondaryGroups { get; set; }
}

public class Context : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<User> Users { get; set; }
    public DbSet<Group> Groups { get; set; }

    protected override void OnModelCreating(DbModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        base.OnModelCreating(modelBuilder);

        modelBuilder.Entity<User>()
                    .HasRequired(u => u.PrimaryGroup)
                    .WithMany(g => g.PrimaryUsers)
                    .HasForeignKey(u => u.PrimaryGroupId)
                    .WillCascadeOnDelete(false);

        modelBuilder.Entity<User>()
                    .HasMany(u => u.SecondaryGroups)
                    .WithMany(g => g.SecondaryUsers)
                    .Map(m => m.MapLeftKey("UserId")
                               .MapRightKey("GroupId")
                               .ToTable("SecondaryGroupAssignments"));
    }
}