Can you use navigation sub-properties in foreign keys using EF 4.1 fluent API?

Question

Let's use a simple example:

public class Employee
{
    public int EmployeeID { get; set; }
    public ICollection<Pay> Pays { get; set; }
}

public class Pay
{
    public Employee Employee { get; set; }
    public int Year { get; set; }
    public double Amount { get; set; }
}

Is there any way to use the fluent API to create a Pays table with a primary key on Employee_EmployeeID, Year (using EF4.1 column conventions)?

I don't want to use data annotations but I tried this anyway:

public class Pay
{
    [Key, Column(Order = 0)]
    public Employee Employee { get; set; }
    [Key, Column(Order = 1)]
    public int Year { get; set; }
    public double Amount { get; set; }
}

All that got me was a primary key on Year and a foreign key on Employee_EmployeeID though.

Ladislav Mrnka · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-20T13:32:28.943

This will be only possible if you also add FK property to your Pay:

public class Pay
{
    public int EmployeeId { get; set; }
    public Employee Employee { get; set; }
    public int Year { get; set; }
    public double Amount { get; set; }
}

Now you can map it with fluent-api:

modelBuilder.Entity<Pay>()
            .HasKey(p => new 
                {
                    p.EmployeeId,
                    p.Year
                });

You need employee's FK as a property if you want to make it part of PK.

Can you use navigation sub-properties in foreign keys using EF 4.1 fluent API?

1 Answers1