Define entity relations(ODL V6.x)

Applies To: # OData Core lib v6 supported OData Core Lib V6

Entity relations are defined by navigation properties in entity data models. Adding a navigation property to an entity type using EdmLib APIs is as simple as adding a structural property shown in the previous sections. EdmLib APIs support adding navigation properties targeting some entity set in the entity container as well as contained entity set belonging to some specific navigation property.

This section shows how to define navigation properties using EdmLib APIs. We will continue to use and extend the sample from the previous sections.

Add a Navigation Property Friends

In the SampleModelBuilder.cs file, insert the following code into the SampleModelBuilder class:

namespace EdmLibSample
{
    public class SampleModelBuilder
    {
        ...
        private EdmNavigationProperty _friendsProperty;
        ...
        public SampleModelBuilder BuildCustomerType()
        {
            ...
            _customerType.AddStructuralProperty("Address", new EdmComplexTypeReference(_addressType, isNullable: false));
#region     !!!INSERT THE CODE BELOW!!!
            _friendsProperty = _customerType.AddUnidirectionalNavigation(
                new EdmNavigationPropertyInfo
                {
                    ContainsTarget = false,
                    Name = "Friends",
                    Target = _customerType,
                    TargetMultiplicity = EdmMultiplicity.Many
                });
#endregion
            _model.AddElement(_customerType);
            return this;
        }
        ...
        public SampleModelBuilder BuildCustomerSet()
        {
            _customerSet = _defaultContainer.AddEntitySet("Customers", _customerType);
#region     !!!INSERT THE CODE BELOW!!!
            _customerSet.AddNavigationTarget(_friendsProperty, _customerSet);
#endregion
            return this;
        }
        ...
    }
}

This code:

• Adds a navigation property Friends to the entity type Customer;
• Sets the ContainsTarget property to false since this property has no contained entities and targets one or more Customer entites in the entity set Customers;
• Sets the TargetMultiplicity property to EdmMultiplicity.Many indicating that one customer can have many orders. Other possible values are ZeroOrOne and One;

Add an Entity Type Order and an Entity Set Orders

Just as how we added the entity set Customers, we first add an entity type Order and then the entity set Orders.

In the SampleModelBuilder.cs file, insert the following code into the SampleModelBuilder class:

namespace EdmLibSample
{
    public class SampleModelBuilder
    {
        ...
        private EdmEntityType _orderType;
        ...
        private EdmEntitySet _orderSet;
        ...
        public SampleModelBuilder BuildOrderType()
        {
            _orderType = new EdmEntityType("Sample.NS", "Order");
            _orderType.AddKeys(_orderType.AddStructuralProperty("Id", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Int32));
            _orderType.AddStructuralProperty("Price", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Decimal);
            _model.AddElement(_orderType);
            return this;
        }
        ...
        public SampleModelBuilder BuildOrderSet()
        {
            _orderSet = _defaultContainer.AddEntitySet("Orders", _orderType);
            return this;
        }
        ...
    }
}

In the Program.cs file, insert the following code into the Main method:

namespace EdmLibSample
{
    class Program
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var builder = new SampleModelBuilder();
            var model = builder
                .BuildAddressType()
                .BuildCategoryType()
#region         !!!INSERT THE CODE BELOW!!!
                .BuildOrderType()
#endregion
                .BuildCustomerType()
                .BuildDefaultContainer()
#region         !!!INSERT THE CODE BELOW!!!
                .BuildOrderSet()
#endregion
                .BuildCustomerSet()
                .GetModel();
            WriteModelToCsdl(model, "csdl.xml");
        }
    }
}

Add Navigation Properties Purchases and Intentions

In the SampleModelBuilder.cs file, insert the following code into the SampleModelBuilder class:

namespace EdmLibSample
{
    public class SampleModelBuilder
    {
        ...
        private EdmNavigationProperty _purchasesProperty;
        private EdmNavigationProperty _intentionsProperty;
        ...
        public SampleModelBuilder BuildCustomerType()
        {
            ...
#region     !!!INSERT THE CODE BELOW!!!
            _purchasesProperty = _customerType.AddUnidirectionalNavigation(
                new EdmNavigationPropertyInfo
                {
                    ContainsTarget = false,
                    Name = "Purchases",
                    Target = _orderType,
                    TargetMultiplicity = EdmMultiplicity.Many
                });
            _intentionsProperty = _customerType.AddUnidirectionalNavigation(
                new EdmNavigationPropertyInfo
                {
                    ContainsTarget = true,
                    Name = "Intentions",
                    Target = _orderType,
                    TargetMultiplicity = EdmMultiplicity.Many
                });
#endregion
            _model.AddElement(_customerType);
            return this;
        }
        ...
        public SampleModelBuilder BuildCustomerSet()
        {
            _customerSet = _defaultContainer.AddEntitySet("Customers", _customerType);
            _customerSet.AddNavigationTarget(_friendsProperty, _customerSet);
#region     !!!INSERT THE CODE BELOW!!!
            _customerSet.AddNavigationTarget(_purchasesProperty, _orderSet);
#endregion
            return this;
        }
    }
}

This code:

• Adds a Purchases property targetting one or more settled orders in the entity set Orders;
• Adds a Intentions property targetting a contained entity set of unsettled orders that should not be listed in the entity set Orders.

Run the Sample

Build and run the sample. Then open the csdl.xml file under the output directory. The content of csdl.xml should look like the following:

References

[Tutorial & Sample] Containment is Coming with OData V4.