CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#entity-framework
Tony
Tony

Reputation: 12695

C# N-tier application - how to hide a generated EF entity?

I have 2 projects

DAL
Main

in the DAL, I create ad DataService class and also I generate the EF context class. How to hide that auto generated EF classes from being accessible from the Main project ? I want to have access only to the DataService class.

I cannot modify the EF entities and put there the internal modifier because after update the context it will be overriden.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 78

Answers (2)

Dan
Dan

Reputation: 10538

  • Move entities to separate project
  • Reference that project from the project containing your DataService
  • Reference your DataService project in your main project

If you are trying to make entities ignorant of schema, use something like AutoMapper or use in-code configuration instead of .edmx

Upvotes: 1

Roy Dictus
Roy Dictus

Reputation: 33139

Put the EF model and its generated classes in a separate project, reference that project from the DAL project, and then you can choose what you expose from the public class DataService.

Of course, if you expose entities from your EF model, and DataService is a regular .NET class instead of a WCF service, then your client will also need to reference the EF project...

If you really want to hide the entities from the client, the client is not allowed to use them at all, and you'll have to provide other ways for the client to read/write data (such as DTO's that you create in a separate project or in the DAL project).

Upvotes: 1

Related Questions