Entity Framework Complex Types Code First Complex Types
Example
A complex type allows you to map selected fields of a database table into a single type that is a child of the main type.
[ComplexType]
public class Address
{
public string Street { get; set; }
public string Street_2 { get; set; }
public string City { get; set; }
public string State { get; set; }
public string ZipCode { get; set; }
}
This complex type can then be used in multiple entity types. It can even be used more than once in the same entity type.
public class Customer
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
...
public Address ShippingAddress { get; set; }
public Address BillingAddress { get; set; }
}
This entity type would then be stored in a table in the database that would look something like this.
Of course, in this case, a 1:n association (Customer-Address) would be the preferred model, but the example shows how complex types can be used.
