We Keep Coding

User defined order using EF and Postgresql

I have a category model class with category name, Id and admin order properties.
I want to provide an API endpoint to admin to reorder the categories as per his need.
I am not sure what is the most efficient way to tackle this using the EF Core and Postgresql (Core 2.2) - I'm a newbie to C# and .NET Core. Please correct me if my approach is wrong.
Here is what I tried:
My model class:
public class Category
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public int Id { get; set; }
public int adminOrder { get; set; }
}
I have my service repository as below with GetCategories and UpdateCategories methods:
public class CategoryRepository: ICategoryRepository
{
private ApplicationDbContext _categoryContext
public CategoryRepository(ApplicationDbContext categoryContext)
{
__categoryContext = _categoryContext
}
public ICollection<Category> GetCategories()
{
return _categoryContext.Categories.OrderBy(c=> c.Name).ToList();
}
public bool UpdateCategoryOrder(Category category)
{
_categoryContext.Update(category);
return Save();
}
public bool Save()
{
var changesMade = _categoryContext.SaveChanges();
return changesMade >= 0 ? true : false;
}
}
In my controller I am taking the list of categories in request body and comparing them with existing categories on field adminOrder.
If they are not equal I am updating the database
public IActionResult UpdateCategory([FromBody] List < Category > categoriesList)
{
var existingList = _categoryRepository.GetCategories();
foreach(var cat in categoriesList)
{
if (existingList.Where(c => c.Id == cat.Id && c.adminOrder != cat.adminOrder)
{
_categoryRepository.UpdateCategory(cat) // since it returns true I can use if statement to check if it fails
}
}
}
I am not sure it is the right way to do or not.
I went through few docs like
https://dba.stackexchange.com/questions/201898/user-defined-ordering-in-sql
https://begriffs.com/posts/2018-03-20-user-defined-order.html
Not sure how to implement them in EF

Copying data between models and saving children without entities duplicating themselves in Entity Framework

I am having trouble saving children entities via Entity Framework / ASP Identity. It seems to be adding duplicates of everything that is added.
I have tried using a detached graph of the DrivingLicenceModel by TeamMember.DrivingLicence = null in the TeamMemberModel and then working with a detached graph by looking if there is new or old DrivingLicenceCategories but because DrivingLicence links back to TeamMember it causes TeamMember.DrivingLicenceId to be null as it cannot link back to TeamMember.
I have tried Manually adding the EntityState to the DrivingLicence and DrivingLicenceCategories but when I do that it complains that it cannot save two entities with the same primary key.
I assume this is because they way I am copying the entities but I after a lot of looking I am drawing a blank.
If there anyway to copy from TeamMemberRequestModel to TeamMemberModel and then save without the children trying to create clone copies of themselves?
Models
public class TeamMemberModel : IdentityUser
{
public virtual DrivingLicenceModel DrivingLicence { get; set; }
public void ShallowCopy(TeamMemberRequestModel src)
{
this.DateOfBirth = src.DateOfBirth;
if (src.DrivingLicence != null)
{
if (this.DrivingLicence == null)
{
this.DrivingLicence = new DrivingLicenceModel(src.DrivingLicence);
}
else
{
this.DrivingLicence.ShallowCopy(src.DrivingLicence);
}
}
}
public TeamMemberModel() { }
}
public class DrivingLicenceModel
{
[Key]
public int Id { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("TeamMember")]
public string TeamMemberId { get; set; }
[JsonIgnore]
public TeamMemberModel TeamMember { get; set; }
public virtual List<DrivingLicenceCategoryModel> DrivingLicenceCategories { get; set; }
public DrivingLicenceModel() { }
public DrivingLicenceModel(DrivingLicenceModel src)
{
this.ShallowCopy(src);
}
public void ShallowCopy(DrivingLicenceModel src)
{
this.Id = src.Id;
this.IsFullLicence = src.IsFullLicence;
this.IssueDate = src.IssueDate;
this.ExpiryDate = src.ExpiryDate;
this.IssuingAuthority = src.IssuingAuthority;
this.LicenceNumber = src.LicenceNumber;
this.DrivingLicenceCategories = src.DrivingLicenceCategories;
this.DrivingLicencePoints = src.DrivingLicencePoints;
}
}
public class DrivingLicenceCategoryModel
{
[Key]
public int Id { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("DrivingLicence")]
public int DrivingLicenceId { get; set; }
[JsonIgnore]
public DrivingLicenceModel DrivingLicence { get; set; }
}
public class TeamMemberRequestModel
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public virtual DrivingLicenceModel DrivingLicence { get; set; }
}
Context
public class TIERDBContext : IdentityDbContext<TeamMemberModel, RoleModel, string, IdentityUserLogin, IdentityUserRole, IdentityUserClaim>
{
public TIERDBContext() : base("SARDBConnection") { }
public DbSet<DrivingLicenceModel> DrivingLicences { get; set; }
public DbSet<DrivingLicenceCategoryModel> DrivingLicenceCategories { get; set; }
}
Controller
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> Put(string id, TeamMemberRequestModel teamMember)
{
TeamMemberModel CurrentTeamMember = await this.TIERUserManager.FindByIdAsync(id);
CurrentTeamMember.ShallowCopy(teamMember);
await this.TIERUserManager.UpdateAsync(CurrentTeamMember);
}

you have to create clone property into context class
.
In the context clases you could to use clone method that retiran the entity you send by parameters this duplicarse any entity you pass. Sorry for my english
hope you help

After far to many hours working over this. I have come to an answer. The best way to deal with this is to simply deal with it is to add or attach all entities down the tree.
The controller now attaches all children unless they have an ID of 0, therefore new and uses add instead. Then I use this very useful extension I found here http://yassershaikh.com/c-exceptby-extension-method/ to compare lists to see added and deleted entities in the list. While I don't need the added part as the entity will already be marked to an add state as I use add() it does not harm and I want to use it later with add and delete state changing.
Controller
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> Put(string id, TeamMemberRequestModel teamMember)
{
TIERDBContext IdentityContext = (TIERDBContext)this.TIERUserManager.UserStore().Context;
foreach (DrivingLicenceCategoryModel DrivingLicenceCategory in teamMember.DrivingLicence.DrivingLicenceCategories)
{
if (DrivingLicenceCategory.Id == 0)
{
IdentityContext.DrivingLicenceCategories.Add(DrivingLicenceCategory);
}
else
{
IdentityContext.DrivingLicenceCategories.Attach(DrivingLicenceCategory);
}
}
foreach (DrivingLicencePointModel DrivingLicencePoint in teamMember.DrivingLicence.DrivingLicencePoints)
{
if (DrivingLicencePoint.Id == 0)
{
IdentityContext.DrivingLicencePoints.Add(DrivingLicencePoint);
}
else
{
IdentityContext.DrivingLicencePoints.Attach(DrivingLicencePoint);
}
}
this.DetectAddedOrRemoveAndSetEntityState(CurrentTeamMember.DrivingLicence.DrivingLicenceCategories.AsQueryable(),teamMember.DrivingLicence.DrivingLicenceCategories, IdentityContext);
this.DetectAddedOrRemoveAndSetEntityState(CurrentTeamMember.DrivingLicence.DrivingLicencePoints.AsQueryable(),teamMember.DrivingLicence.DrivingLicencePoints, IdentityContext);
CurrentTeamMember.ShallowCopy(teamMember);
await this.TIERUserManager.UpdateAsync(CurrentTeamMember);
}
I then use a generic that uses ExceptBy to work out what is added and delete from the old team member model to the new team member model.
protected void DetectAddedOrRemoveAndSetEntityState<T>(IQueryable<T> old, List<T> current, TIERDBContext context) where T : class, IHasIntID
{
List<T> OldList = old.ToList();
List<T> Added = current.ExceptBy(OldList, x => x.Id).ToList();
List<T> Deleted = OldList.ExceptBy(current, x => x.Id).ToList();
Added.ForEach(x => context.Entry(x).State = EntityState.Added);
Deleted.ForEach(x => context.Entry(x).State = EntityState.Deleted);
}
It works but it is far from great. It takes two DB queries, getting the original and updating. I just cannot think of any better way to do this.

Is it possible to have extra (ignored) properties in C#?

I have a repository for a DocumentDb database. My documents all have a set of common properties so all documents implement the IDocumentEntity interface.
public interface IDocumentEntity {
[JsonProperty("id")]
Guid Id { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("documentClassification")]
DocumentClassification DocumentClassification { get; set; }
}
public class KnownDocument : IDocumentEntity {
[JsonProperty("id")]
Guid Id { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("documentClassification")]
DocumentClassification DocumentClassification { get; set; }
[JsonProperty("knownProperty")]
string KnownProperty { get; set; }
}
public class BaseDocumentRepository<T> where T : IDocumentEntity {
public Set(T entity) {
// ... stuff
}
}
This works fine with a KnownDocument where I know all of the properties. But, of course, what's great about a Document Db is that I don't need to know all of the properties (and in many cases I won't).
So my client submits something like this-
{unknownProperty1: 1, unknownProperty2: 2}
And I want to upsert this using my document repository.
public OtherDocumentService() {
_otherDocumentService = new OtherDocumentRepository();
}
public UpsertDocument(dynamic entity) {
entity.id = new Guid();
entity.documentClassification = DocumentClassification.Other;
_otherDocumentRepository.Set(entity);
}
But I get an InvalidCastException from dynamic to IDocumentEntity. I assume it's because of the extra properties that exist on the dynamic object but not on the IDocumentEntity interface?
What I'm trying to do is leave my document entities open to be dynamic, but rely on a few properties being there to maintain them.

Entity parameter passed to the UpsertDocument should explicitly implement IDocumentEntity in order do make the code works, it is not enough just have a Id property.
Some options:
1) Proxy may be applied:
public class ProxyDocumentEntity : IDocumentEntity
{
public dynamic Content { get; private set; }
public ProxyDocumentEntity(dynamic #content)
{
Content = #content;
}
public Guid Id
{
get { return Content.Id; }
set { Content.Id = value; }
}
}
... using
public void UpsertDocument(dynamic entity)
{
entity.Id = new Guid();
repo.Set(new ProxyDocumentEntity(entity));
}
The stored document will have nested Object property, which may be not acceptable
2)There is a lib https://github.com/ekonbenefits/impromptu-interface which creates a proxy dynamically
and does not make extra property like solution above.
Drawback will be in performance.
Technically it could be 2 methods:
public void UpsertDocument(IDocumentEntity entity){...}
public void UpsertDocument(dynamic entity){...}
so the first (fast) will work for the objects which implement IDocumentEntity and second(slow) for the rest of the objects.
But this is a speculation a bit , as I dunno the details of the whole code base of the project you have.

If you have some flexibility as to how to name those dynamic properties, you could stuff them into a Dictionary property on your object:
public Dictionary<string, dynamic> extra { get; set; }

Error when mapping from Entity to DTO or DTO to Entity using AutoMapper

I'm using EntityFramework as a DataLayer and DTO to transfer data between layer. I develop Windows Forms in N-Tier architecture and when I try to mapping from Entity to DTO in BLL:
public IEnumerable<CategoryDTO> GetCategoriesPaged(int skip, int take, string name)
{
var categories = unitOfWork.CategoryRepository.GetCategoriesPaged(skip, take, name);
var categoriesDTO = Mapper.Map<IEnumerable<Category>, List<CategoryDTO>>(categories);
return categoriesDTO;
}
I've got this error:
http://s810.photobucket.com/user/sky3913/media/AutoMapperError.png.html
The error said that I missing type map configuration or unsupported mapping. I have registered mapping using profile in this way at UI Layer:
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
AutoMapperBusinessConfiguration.Configure();
AutoMapperWindowsConfiguration.Configure();
...
Application.Run(new frmMain());
}
and AutoMapper configuration is in BLL:
public class AutoMapperBusinessConfiguration
{
public static void Configure()
{
Mapper.Initialize(cfg =>
{
cfg.AddProfile<EntityToDTOProfile>();
cfg.AddProfile<DTOToEntityProfile>();
});
}
}
public class EntityToDTOProfile : Profile
{
public override string ProfileName
{
get { return "EntityToDTOMappings"; }
}
protected override void Configure()
{
Mapper.CreateMap<Category, CategoryDTO>();
}
}
public class DTOToEntityProfile : Profile
{
public override string ProfileName
{
get { return "DTOToEntityMappings"; }
}
protected override void Configure()
{
Mapper.CreateMap<CategoryDTO, Category>();
}
}
I've got the same error too when mapping from DTO to Entity.
category = Mapper.Map<Category>(categoryDTO);
How to solve this?

Its because you are using Mapper.Initialize multiple times. If you look at the source code it calls Mapper.Reset() which means only the last mapping defined will work. so instead simply remove the Initialize calls and replace with Mapper.AddProfile< >

Use AutoMapper.AssertConfigurationIsValid() after the Configure() calls. If anything fails it will throw an exception with a descriptive text. It should give you more info to debug further.

Mapping DTOs to Entities using AutoMapper and EntityFramework
here we have an Entity class Country and an CountryDTO
public class Country
{
public int CountryID { get; set; }
public string ContryName { get; set; }
public string CountryCode { get; set; }
}
CountryDto
public class CountryDTO
{
public int CountryID { get; set; }
public string ContryName { get; set; }
public string CountryCode { get; set; }
}
Create Object of CountryDTO
CountryDTO collection=new CountryDTO();
collection.CountryID =1;
collection.ContryName ="India";
collection.CountryCode ="in";
Country model = Convertor.Convert<Country, CountryDTO>(collection);
dbcontext.Countries.Add(model);
dbcontext.SaveChanges();
this will work fine for a new Country, the above code will map CountryDTO to Country Entity Object and add new entities to the dbcontext and save the changes.
using System.Reflection;
public static TOut Convert<TOut, TIn>(TIn fromRecord) where TOut : new()
{
var toRecord = new TOut();
PropertyInfo[] fromFields = null;
PropertyInfo[] toFields = null;
fromFields = typeof(TIn).GetProperties();
toFields = typeof(TOut).GetProperties();
foreach (var fromField in fromFields)
{
foreach (var toField in toFields)
{
if (fromField.Name == toField.Name)
{
toField.SetValue(toRecord, fromField.GetValue(fromRecord, null), null);
break;
}
}
}
return toRecord;
}
public static List<TOut> Convert<TOut, TIn>(List<TIn> fromRecordList) where TOut : new()
{
return fromRecordList.Count == 0 ? null : fromRecordList.Select(Convert<TOut, TIn>).ToList();
}
http://bhupendrasinghsaini.blogspot.in/2014/09/convert-enity-framwork-data-in-entity.html

How can I loosely couple database columns in a .NET application?

I have two versions of an almost identical database. Below I have created an Example table to demonstrate the basic differences, namely the ID column has changed from an Integer Identity to a GUID and various properties have been updated, in the Example archived has been replaced with readOnly and hidden:
Legacy version:
CREATE TABLE Example
(
--Data Identity (maps to DbId in the example code)
Id int IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY,
--Example columns
SomeValue varchar(50),
AnotherValue int,
--Data Properties
Archived bit
)
New version:
CREATE TABLE Example
(
--Data Identity (maps to DbId in the example code)
Id uniqueidentifier PRIMARY KEY,
--Example columns
SomeValue varchar(50),
AnotherValue int,
--Data Properties
ReadOnly bit,
Hidden bit
)
I need to be able to use an O/R mapper such as NHibernate to connect to one or other of these database versions. I would like to be able to tell the application which version to use through settings in a configuration file.
My initial plan was to create a common interface for the business logic and use an IoC container such as Unity to swap between the relevant concrete classes in the configuration file.
Below is an example of the code I created to test this theory:
public interface IDataIdentity
{
object Id { get; }
}
public class LegacyDataIdentity : IDataIdentity
{
public virtual long DbId { get; set; }
public object Id
{
get { return DbId; }
}
}
public class NewDataIdentity : IDataIdentity
{
public virtual Guid DbId { get; set; }
public object Id
{
get { return DbId; }
}
}
public interface IDataProperties
{
bool ReadOnly { get; set; }
bool Hidden { get; set; }
}
public class LegacyDataProperties : IDataProperties
{
public virtual bool Archived { get; set; }
public bool ReadOnly
{
get { return Archived; }
set { Archived = value; }
}
public bool Hidden
{
get { return Archived; }
set { Archived = value; }
}
}
public class NewDataProperties : IDataProperties
{
public virtual bool ReadOnly { get; set; }
public virtual bool Hidden { get; set; }
}
public class DataItem
{
public DataItem(IDataIdentity dataIdentity, IDataProperties dataProperties)
{
DataIdentity = dataIdentity;
DataProperties = dataProperties;
}
public IDataIdentity DataIdentity { get; set; }
public IDataProperties DataProperties { get; set; }
}
public class Example : DataItem
{
public Example(IDataIdentity dataIdentity, IDataProperties dataProperties)
: base(dataIdentity, dataProperties)
{
}
public virtual string SomeValue { get; set; }
public virtual int AnotherValue { get; set; }
}
Can anyone advise if this is possible (specifically with Unity and NHibernate) and if so how to create the relevant NHibernate mapping files?
Alternatively, can anyone suggest any solution to the problem using any other methods or other IoC and O/R mapping tools (commercial or open source)?
Many thanks,
Paul

Why not abstract your data provider, implementing 2 versions (one with nhibernate mappings for the legacy data item, and one for the new data item).
To paraphrase your code slightly (simplified for clarity):
public abstract class AbstractData
{
public abstract string SomeValue { get; set; }
public abstract bool ReadOnly { get; set; }
//etc.
}
public interface IDataProvider
{
AbstractData Get(object id);
}
public class LegacyData : AbstractData
{
// Implement AbstractData, and
public virtual long Id { get { return m_Id; } set { m_Id = value; };
private long m_Id;
}
public class LegacyDataNHibernateProvider : IDataProvider
{
public LegacyDataProvider()
{
// Set up fluent nhibernate mapping
}
public AbstractData Get(object id)
{
// Interpret id as legacy identifier, retrieve LegacyData item, and return
}
};
// Same again for new data provider
This way, you aren't tied to nhibernate (or a database, for that matter), and you can specify concrete classes with correctly typed identifiers (which nhibernate can handle). This is the approach I'm taking, where I currently have to map against an existing database's SPs, but will later migrate to a new ORM-based system.

Maybe I'm not understanding your question correctly, but it sounds to me like you need to implement something like the "Factory Pattern".
I recently used the factory pattern to code (c#) to two data layers when the company I work for was switching from JDE to SAP. I was able to flip a config switch to switch between the two data layers, and the GUI wouldn't know any different.
Here's a couple links I found:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms954600.aspx
http://www.allapplabs.com/java_design_patterns/factory_pattern.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_factory_pattern
As far as NHibernate goes, I'm not familiar with it... sorry. Hope this helps.

Hard to recommend without knowing the full picture, but.... You can create an abstruction in the SPs by having SP return identical dataset for both table structures.
Another abstruction I am thinking of, is you can actually specify different hybernate mapping files, and initialize Hibernate with a different file depending on what database you connect to.