Reference Key-Value Types

This topic demonstrates how to map a dictionary property with key and value that are reference types.

Below is a sample FluentMetadataSource implementation showing you how to configure the DictionaryModel class. The class has a dictionary property with key and value that are reference types.

public class FluentModelMetadataSource : FluentMetadataSource
{
   protected override IList<MappingConfiguration> PrepareMapping()
   {
       IList<MappingConfiguration> preparedConfigurations = new List<MappingConfiguration>();

       MappingConfiguration<KeyClass> keyClassConfig = new MappingConfiguration<KeyClass>();
       keyClassConfig.MapType().ToTable( "KeyTable" );
       keyClassConfig.HasProperty( x => x.KeyClassId ).IsIdentity( KeyGenerator.Autoinc );
       preparedConfigurations.Add( keyClassConfig );

       MappingConfiguration<ValueClass> valueClassConfig = new MappingConfiguration<ValueClass>();
       valueClassConfig.MapType().ToTable( "ValueTable" );
       valueClassConfig.HasProperty( x => x.ValueClassId ).IsIdentity( KeyGenerator.Autoinc );
       preparedConfigurations.Add( valueClassConfig );

       MappingConfiguration<DictionaryModel> dictionaryConfiguration = 
            new MappingConfiguration<DictionaryModel>();
       dictionaryConfiguration.HasProperty( d => d.Id ).ToColumn( "Id" );
       dictionaryConfiguration.HasProperty( d => d.Name ).ToColumn( "Name" );
       dictionaryConfiguration.MapType().ToTable( "DictionaryModel" );
       dictionaryConfiguration.HasProperty( d => d.Id ).IsIdentity( KeyGenerator.Autoinc );

       dictionaryConfiguration.HasAssociation( x => x.KeyValueDictionary ).
            MapJoinTable( "JoinTableName", ( x, y, z ) => new
       {
           x.Id, // The DictionaryModel.Id property
           y.KeyClassId,
           z.ValueClassId
       } );

       preparedConfigurations.Add( dictionaryConfiguration );
       return preparedConfigurations;
   }
}

Public Class FluentModelMetadataSource
    Inherits FluentMetadataSource
    Protected Overrides Function PrepareMapping() As IList(Of MappingConfiguration)
        Dim preparedConfigurations As IList(Of MappingConfiguration) = New List(Of MappingConfiguration)()

        Dim keyClassConfig As New MappingConfiguration(Of KeyClass)()
        keyClassConfig.MapType().ToTable("KeyTable")
        keyClassConfig.FieldNamingRules.AddPrefix = "_"
        keyClassConfig.HasProperty(Function(x) x.KeyClassId).IsIdentity(KeyGenerator.Autoinc)
        preparedConfigurations.Add(keyClassConfig)

        Dim valueClassConfig As New MappingConfiguration(Of ValueClass)()
        valueClassConfig.MapType().ToTable("ValueTable")
        valueClassConfig.FieldNamingRules.AddPrefix = "_"
        valueClassConfig.HasProperty(Function(x) x.ValueClassId).IsIdentity(KeyGenerator.Autoinc)
        preparedConfigurations.Add(valueClassConfig)

        Dim dictionaryConfiguration As New MappingConfiguration(Of DictionaryModel)()
        dictionaryConfiguration.HasProperty(Function(d) d.Id).ToColumn("Id")
        dictionaryConfiguration.HasProperty(Function(d) d.Name).ToColumn("Name")
        dictionaryConfiguration.MapType().ToTable("DictionaryModel")
        dictionaryConfiguration.FieldNamingRules.AddPrefix = "_"
        dictionaryConfiguration.HasProperty(Function(d) d.Id).IsIdentity(KeyGenerator.Autoinc)

        dictionaryConfiguration.HasAssociation(Of KeyClass, ValueClass)(Function(x) x.KeyValueDictionary).
            MapJoinTable("JoinTableName", Function(x, y, z) New With {Key x.Id,
                Key y.KeyClassId,
                Key z.ValueClassId})

        preparedConfigurations.Add(dictionaryConfiguration)
        Return preparedConfigurations
    End Function
End Class

The resulting database schema should look like the snapshot below:

DictionaryModel Class

public class DictionaryModel
{
   public DictionaryModel()
   {
       this.KeyValueDictionary = new Dictionary<KeyClass, ValueClass>();
   }
   public int Id {get;set;}
   public string Name {get;set;}
   public IDictionary<KeyClass, ValueClass> KeyValueDictionary {get;set;}
}

Public Class DictionaryModel
    Public Sub New()
        Me.KeyValueDictionary = New Dictionary(Of KeyClass, ValueClass)()
    End Sub

    Private _id As Integer
    Public Property Id() As Integer
        Get
            Return _id
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Integer)
            _id = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Private _name As String
    Public Property Name() As String
        Get
            Return _name
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            _name = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Private _keyValueDictionary As IDictionary(Of KeyClass, ValueClass)
    Public Property KeyValueDictionary() As IDictionary(Of KeyClass, ValueClass)
        Get
            Return _keyValueDictionary
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As IDictionary(Of KeyClass, ValueClass))
            _keyValueDictionary = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

KeyClass

public class KeyClass
{
   public int KeyClassId {get;set;}
   public string Name {get;set;}
}

Public Class KeyClass
    Private _keyClassId As Integer
    Public Property KeyClassId() As Integer
        Get
            Return _keyClassId
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Integer)
            _keyClassId = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Private _name As String
    Public Property Name() As String
        Get
            Return _name
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            _name = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

ValueClass

public class ValueClass
{
   public int ValueClassId {get;set;}
   public string Name {get;set;}
}

Public Class ValueClass
    Private _valueClassId As Integer
    Public Property ValueClassId() As Integer
        Get
            Return _valueClassId
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Integer)
            _valueClassId = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Private _name As String
    Public Property Name() As String
        Get
            Return _name
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            _name = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class