How can I work around mapping problems in EF Code first?

Question

There is an MVC3 application being developed using EF Code First. The solution has three projects inside; ProjectName.Model, ProjectName.MVC, Project.Repository. In POCO classes inside the model project there is a 'Man' class from which the 'User' is inherited. As it comes to loading the 'Create.cshml', the following error display:

error 3032: Problem in mapping fragments starting at lines 17, 29:EntityTypes ProjectName_Repository.Man, ProjectName_Repository.User are being mapped to the same rows in table Man. Mapping conditions can be used to distinguish the rows that these types are mapped to.

I have taken a look around links like: http://weblogs.asp.net/manavi/archive/2010/12/24/inheritance-mapping-strategies-with-entity-framework-code-first-ctp5-part-1-table-per-hierarchy-tph.aspx and also http://forums.asp.net/t/1735718.aspx/1

But couldn't find out something helpful.

Here my model classes:

public class Man
{
    [Key]
    [DatabaseGenerated(System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.Schema.DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]
    public long ID { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [Required, MaxLength(20)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("FName")]
    public string FName { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [Required, MaxLength(20)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("LastName")]
    public string LastName { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [Required]
    [RegularExpression("^[0-9]+$", ErrorMessageResourceName = "ErrorNumberOnly", ErrorMessageResourceType = typeof(MAHAL_E_MA_Model.Properties.Resources))]
    [LocalizedAttribute("Mobile")]
    public string Mobile { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [LocalizedAttribute("Phone")]
    [RegularExpression("^[0-9]+$", ErrorMessageResourceName = "ErrorNumberOnly", ErrorMessageResourceType = typeof(MAHAL_E_MA_Model.Properties.Resources))]
    public string HomePhone { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [RegularExpression("^[0-9]+$")]
    [LocalizedAttribute("IDCardNumber")]
    public string IDCardNumber { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [RegularExpression("^[0-9]+$")]
    [LocalizedAttribute("NationalCode")]
    public string NationalCode { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [MaxLength(10)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("DOB")]
    public int DOB { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [Required]
    public int CityID { get; set; }
    [ForeignKey("CityID")]
    [LocalizedAttribute("City")]
    public virtual City CityParent { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [MaxLength(100)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("Address")]
    public string Address { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [LocalizedAttribute("PostalCode")]
    public string PostalCode { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [MaxLength(255)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("PhotoPath")]
    public string PhotoPath { get; set; }
}

and the derived class:

 public class User : Man
{
    [MaxLength(20)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("Username")]
    public string UserName { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [DataType(DataType.Password)]
    [MaxLength(100), MinLength(6, ErrorMessageResourceType = typeof(MAHAL_E_MA_Model.Properties.Resources), ErrorMessageResourceName = "ErrorPasswordLength")]
    [LocalizedAttribute("Password")]
    public string Password { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [DataType(DataType.Password)]
    [Compare("Password", ErrorMessageResourceType = typeof(MAHAL_E_MA_Model.Properties.Resources), ErrorMessageResourceName = "ErrorConfirmPassword")]
    [LocalizedAttribute("ConfirmPassword")]
    public string ConfirmPassword { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [DataType(DataType.EmailAddress, ErrorMessageResourceType = typeof(MAHAL_E_MA_Model.Properties.Resources), ErrorMessageResourceName = "ErrorEmailInvalid")]
    [MaxLength(20)]
    [RegularExpression(@"[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}")]
    [LocalizedAttribute("Email")]
    public string Email { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [MaxLength(30)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("Title")]
    public string Title { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [MaxLength(10)]
    [LocalizedAttribute("HireDate")]
    public int HireDate { get; set; }
    //------------------------------------------------------------//
    [LocalizedAttribute("ReportsTo")]
    public long ReportsTo { get; set; }
    [ForeignKey("ReportsTo")]
    public virtual IList<User> ReportsChild { get; set; }
}

So, anyone can help me on this pleas?! Appreciate that..

Answer 1

In inheritance it works much better if you have classes side-by-side inheriting from an absrtact base class. I even think that EF can't support an inheritance hierarchy of concrete types.

I would create a base class like ManBase and derive your two classes from it

public abstract class ManBase
public class Man : ManBase
public class User: ManBase

You can choose an inheritance strategy that fits best. It could be TPH (as in the link you mention).

There is also a architectural benefit: now you can change the Man class without any implications for User. In your current model that is impossible.