Entity Framework Circular Reference

Question

Trying this question again because my first attempt was barely coherent :p

So I am super confused and using Entity Framework Code First

I have a Forest class.

I have a Tree class.

Each Forest can have many Trees

When I was trying to serialize I was getting circular reference

public class Forest
{

    public Guid ID { get; set; }  
    public virtual List<Tree> Trees { get; set; }
}
public class Tree
{
    public Guid ID { get; set; }
    public Guid? ForestId {get;set;}

    [ForeignKey("ForestId")]
    public virtual Forest Forest {get;set;}
 }

Every forest has trees but not every tree is in a forest. I struggle with either errors of Multiplicity when doing

@(Html.Raw(Json.Encode(Model)))

Where the model is a Forest

and if I make ForestId a Guid instead of a Guid? I get Circular Reference errors.

I also tried protected override void

OnModelCreating(System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.ModelBuilder modelBuilder) 
{ 
  modelBuilder.Entity<Forest>() 
  .HasMany(x => x.Tree) 
  .WithOptional() 
   .HasForeignKey(y => y.ForestId); 
}

Thanks in advance

Are you using DataContractSerializer? If so, I don't see your DataContracts, but you would need to set IsReference=true. — Josh C., Oct 10 '12 at 05:04

TCM · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-10T05:52:42.733

Best approach would be you should use DTOs to transfer only the data that you want to the client. The DTOs should have just simple properties so it won't create a circular reference error. At the moment the Forest has List<Trees> Trees and each Tree within Trees has Forest and that Forest again has List<Trees>

Or

You can decorate your attributes with ScriptIgnore for properties that you don't want the Json.Encode to serialize and then that wouldn't be sent back to the client.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.script.serialization.scriptignoreattribute.aspx

Eg:

public class Forest
{    
    public Guid ID { get; set; }  
    public virtual List<Tree> Trees { get; set; }
}
public class Tree
{
    public Guid ID { get; set; }
    public Guid? ForestId {get;set;}

    [ForeignKey("ForestId")]
    [ScriptIgnore]
    public virtual Forest Forest {get;set;}
 }

Edit:

Along with ScriptIgnore you should also remove virtual from Forest and Trees and that would work. I've tested it. However, I wouldn't advise that because virtual keyword is what does the Lazy loading. Hence as I said you need to create DTOs based on these Models and only send in DTO to client.

Even with Script ignore it gave me circular reference so I looked at the model. ID field for the Tree keeps drilling down as does the ID field for the Forest. I am using GUIDs generated in the database using NewId() could this be causing my problem? I even set Trees = null in Forest and it is still giving a circular reference. — Jordan, Oct 10 '12 at 05:17
Thank you very much. I ended up realizing last night I could take the virtual off. I realize it isn't the ideal solution but I'm just prototyping for this project so in this instance it is fine. In future production work I will indeed use DTOs! Thank you very much! — Jordan, Oct 10 '12 at 15:27

Entity Framework Circular Reference

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