How do I split a table into multiple types in EF4 code first?

Question

I am using code-first POCOs with EF4, CTP5. I've got a table with a lot of columns in it (over 100). I want to split the table into multiple types (aka "Table Splitting") so that I don't have to fetch all the data every time I want some basic information.

I can't seem to find any documentation on this using Google. I've found references to the concept, "Table Splitting", and I've also seen how to do it using an EDMX file, but no samples for code-first.

I was hoping it would be as simple as defining another entity type and relating them as you would any other navigation property like so...

public class User
{
    public int UserID { get; set; }
    public string UserName { get; set; }
    [ForeignKey("UserID")]
    public virtual UserDetails Details { get; set; }
}

public class UserDetails
{
    public int UserID { get; set; }
    public string MoreData { get; set; }
    [ForeignKey("UserID")]
    public virtual User User { get; set; } // nice to have, but not required
}

And I call it like this...

return (from u in Context.Users  // <-- error occurs here
        where u.UserID == userID
        select u).FirstOrDefault();

Unfortunately this does not seem to be working. I am getting the following error when I do this...

[IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array.]
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Conventions.Edm.PropertyMaxLengthConvention.System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Conventions.Edm.IEdmConvention<System.Data.Edm.EdmAssociationType>.Apply(EdmAssociationType associationType, EdmModel model) +598
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Configuration.EdmConventionDispatcher.Dispatch(TEdmDataModelItem item) +100
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Configuration.EdmConventionDispatcher.VisitEdmAssociationType(EdmAssociationType item) +22
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Edm.Services.DataModelItemVisitor.VisitCollection(IEnumerable`1 collection, Action`1 visitMethod) +267
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Edm.Services.EdmModelVisitor.VisitAssociationTypes(EdmNamespace edmNamespace, IEnumerable`1 associationTypes) +75
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Edm.Services.EdmModelVisitor.VisitEdmNamespace(EdmNamespace item) +91
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Configuration.EdmConventionDispatcher.VisitEdmNamespace(EdmNamespace item) +32
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Edm.Services.DataModelItemVisitor.VisitCollection(IEnumerable`1 collection, Action`1 visitMethod) +267
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Edm.Services.EdmModelVisitor.VisitNamespaces(EdmModel model, IEnumerable`1 namespaces) +75
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Edm.Services.EdmModelVisitor.VisitEdmModel(EdmModel item) +47
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Configuration.EdmConventionDispatcher.VisitEdmModel(EdmModel item) +45
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.Configuration.ConventionsConfiguration.ApplyModel(EdmModel model) +254
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.ModelBuilder.Build(DbProviderManifest providerManifest, DbProviderInfo providerInfo, Boolean validateModel) +257
   System.Data.Entity.ModelConfiguration.ModelBuilder.Build(DbConnection providerConnection) +172
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.CreateModel() +62
   System.Lazy`1.CreateValue() +361
   System.Lazy`1.LazyInitValue() +104
   System.Lazy`1.get_Value() +89
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.InitializeContext() +358
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.Initialize() +16
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.GetEntitySetAndBaseTypeForType(Type entityType) +16
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.Initialize() +61
   System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.get_Provider() +15
   System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.DbQuery`1.System.Linq.IQueryable.get_Provider() +13
   System.Linq.Queryable.Where(IQueryable`1 source, Expression`1 predicate) +63
   TourFactory.Web.AgentWebsite.Models.Websites.WebsiteRepository.GetUser(Int32 userID) in C:\Code\hdtf\TF4\Web\AgentWebsite\Models\Websites\WebsiteRepository.cs:28
   TourFactory.Web.AgentWebsite.Controllers.WebsiteController.get_Agent() in C:\Code\hdtf\TF4\Web\AgentWebsite\Controllers\WebsiteController.cs:42
   TourFactory.Web.AgentWebsite.Controllers.WebsiteController.OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext) in C:\Code\hdtf\TF4\Web\AgentWebsite\Controllers\WebsiteController.cs:55
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.System.Web.Mvc.IActionFilter.OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext) +39
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethodFilter(IActionFilter filter, ActionExecutingContext preContext, Func`1 continuation) +81
   System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClass17.<InvokeActionMethodWithFilters>b__14() +61
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionMethodWithFilters(ControllerContext controllerContext, IList`1 filters, ActionDescriptor actionDescriptor, IDictionary`2 parameters) +305
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeAction(ControllerContext controllerContext, String actionName) +830
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.ExecuteCore() +136
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerBase.Execute(RequestContext requestContext) +232
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerBase.System.Web.Mvc.IController.Execute(RequestContext requestContext) +39
   System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClassb.<BeginProcessRequest>b__5() +68
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass1.<MakeVoidDelegate>b__0() +44
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass8`1.<BeginSynchronous>b__7(IAsyncResult _) +42
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End() +141
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.End(IAsyncResult asyncResult, Object tag) +54
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncResultWrapper.End(IAsyncResult asyncResult, Object tag) +40
   System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClasse.<EndProcessRequest>b__d() +61
   System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.<GetCallInAppTrustThunk>b__0(Action f) +31
   System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.ProcessInApplicationTrust(Action action) +56
   System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +110
   System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult result) +38
   System.Web.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +8841105
   System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +184

Removing the User.Details property makes the error go away, but then I can't use the nifty navigation features of EF4.

Answer 1

Using Complex Types is the only way you can map a table to multiple types. However, Code First (and EF in general) does NOT support lazy/Deferred loading for complex types. In other words, EF will always populate the complex type each time you read the entity from the database:

public class User
{
    public int UserID { get; set; }
    public string UserName { get; set; }
    public UserDetails Details { get; set; }
}

[ComplexType]
public class UserDetails
{
    public string MoreData { get; set; }
}

The only way you can achieve lazy loading for your big table is by really splitting it into multiple tables and then you can use one-to-one associations to map it back to multiple entities.

For more info regarding Complex Types in EF Code First CTP, take a look at this article:
Associations in EF Code First CTP5: Part 1 – Complex Types

Answer 2

I know this question is more than a year but EF Code First supports table splitting and lazy loading at the same time.

Your model should be like this:

[Table("UserTable")]
public class User
{
    [Key, ForeignKey("Details")]
    public int UserID { get; set; }
    public string UserName { get; set; }
    public virtual  UserDetails Details { get; set; }
}

[Table("UserTable")]
public class UserDetails
{

    [Key, ForeignKey("User")]
    public int UserID { get; set; }
    public string MoreData { get; set; }
    public virtual User User { get; set; }
}

Lazy loading (and eager loading) should work as expected.

Its important to note that table splitting works if

• Entities have 1-to-1 relationship, and
• Entities share the same Key

Answer 3

I guess the answer suggested by Rino is a better one. Though in the end you achieve same thing. But in the case of second one it's meant to do the exact same thing. First one can have problem when you cannot have apply [ComplexType] due to 3rd party code or you have a list of that type.

Use the second one or as in Fluent APIs as from Julia Lerman's book (splitting "People" table into "Person" and "PersonPhoto" entities.

   modelBuilder.Entity<Person>().ToTable("People");
   modelBuilder.Entity<PersonPhoto>().ToTable("People");