Table with foreign keys missing members in generated class in edmx

Question

I have a table in the database that has 4 foreign keys referencing to it. When I add the table to the edmx, the table and navigational properties are there. However, the foreign key ids from this table is missing and only the virtual objects are there.

This is the following table that is generated in the .tt file:

public partial class Device
{
    public int SolutionId { get; set; }
    public string SiteId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int SysId { get; set; }
    public Nullable<int> SysType { get; set; }
    public string SerialNumber { get; set; }
    public Nullable<int> ParentId { get; set; }

    public virtual DeviceModel DeviceModel { get; set; }
    public virtual DeviceType DeviceType { get; set; }
    public virtual SolutionApplication SolutionApplication { get; set; }
    public virtual SolutionType SolutionType { get; set; }
}

There are a few members missing:

DeviceModelId, DeviceTypeId, SolutionApplicationId, and SolutionTypeId

Why is it missing? Is there any way to get those keys actually be part of the partial class?

using EntityFrameworks v6.0.2. Lazy Loading

Answer 1

In short, Entity Framework 'abstracts that away'.

Its clever enough to recognise that your FKs represent relationships and so allows you to work with the objects themselves. So instead of having you worry about checking the FK constraint, etc. for, say, SolutionTypeId - you just need to add a SolutionType object to your Device object and let Entity Framework sort it out. (Of course, this causes problems if you try to add a new SolutionType that violates the SolutionType PK so maybe you need to first find an existing object from the SolutionTypes table).

So, instead of thinking of it as a Device table linked to a SolutionType table via a FK - just think of it as a Device object with a SolutionType object as a property. EF sorts out the db for you when you save changes (assuming your model is accurate!)