How to specify table name with Entity Framework Code First Fluent API

Question

I have an Entity and I am to configure Entity Framework to map it to a database table with different name.

I can easily do this with Code First DataAnnotations (DataAnnotations.Schema.TableAttribute).

But due to limitations now I have to use Code First Fluent API (my domain objects will be used by external clients, so they shouldn't be technology-specific - e.g. have any references to DataAnnotations)

I've searched on MSDN but found nothing. So is it possible and how?

Thank you.

In general you should create DTO's (data transfer objects) and map your EF objects to them, you should never use the EF classes directly unless you're working on a small/trivial app. — reggaeguitar
– reggaeguitar, Commented Feb 24, 2016 at 23:08

Assaf S. · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-29 18:18:08Z

248

You can also use the Table annotation:

[Table("InternalBlogs")]
public class Blog

See: Code First Data Annotations

answered Jun 29, 2014 at 18:18

Assaf S.

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5 Comments

bairog Over a year ago

Thx, but if you carefully read my question - you'll see that apptoach directly in the middle of it :)

Jon Schneider Over a year ago

Even though the annotation is named "Table", it appears to work fine for views as well as for tables.

Erik Bergstedt Over a year ago

@JonSchneider I'm just arguing definitions here for no reason in particular, but a view is a read-only table.

Pétur Ingi Egilsson Over a year ago

The Table annotation resides in System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.Schema;.

Worthy7 Over a year ago

How has this got more upvotes, the question clearly asks for the fluent api version

Jack Allen · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-21 15:14:30Z

135

You'll use the .ToTable() method:

modelBuilder.Entity<Department>().ToTable("t_Department");

Source: MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/data/jj591617.aspx

edited Oct 21, 2014 at 15:14

Jack Allen

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answered Nov 25, 2013 at 4:22

Martin Cron

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2 Comments

rajeemcariazo Over a year ago

i prefer this because i want all anotations in one place

AZ Chad Over a year ago

it there any validation that the table exists? we renamed a table and nothing broke, is this the behavior you'd expect? it obviously can't do CRUD on the renamed table, but it doesn't seem to break anything...

Alexey Zimarev · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-09 19:41:06Z

12

Use ToTable method:

public class MyEntityMap : EntityTypeConfiguration<MyEntity>
{
    public const string TableName = "MyEntity";

    public MyEntityMap()
    {                   
        ToTable(TableName);

        Property(t => t.Id);
    }
}

edited Mar 9, 2017 at 19:41

Alexey Zimarev

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answered Nov 25, 2013 at 4:21

alexmac

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2 Comments

SventoryMang Over a year ago

I think breaking out your mappings into classes is the cleanest approach.

Serj Sagan Over a year ago

But then in your OnModelCreating method you have to do: modelBuilder.Configurations.Add(new MyEntityMap()); where instead of you could have just added a modelBuilder.Entity<MyEntity>().ToTable("MyEntityTable"); so no, this is not the cleaner way unless you also had other mapping to do for this entity.

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