I noticed the EntityStoreSchemaGenerator.GenerateStoreMetadata method does not seem to gracefully handle HierarchyID columns in all cases. If I attach to a DB that has a table with a HierarchyID non PK column, EntityStoreSchemaGenerator.GenerateStoreMetadata will generate the EntityContainer but will filter out the unsupported HierarchyID column. A warning will be returned from the GenerateStoreMetadata method indicating this.
warning 6005: The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version; the column 'DocumentNode' in table 'HierarchyID2.dbo.Table_1' was excluded.
Similarly if I attach to a DB that has a table with a HierarchyID PK column, EntityStoreSchemaGenerator.GenerateStoreMetadata will generate the EntityContainer but will filter out the entire table and return a warning indicating this.
warning 6005: The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version; the column 'DocumentNode' in table 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded.
warning 6031: The column 'DocumentNode' on the table/view 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded, and is a key column. The table/view has been excluded. Please fix the entity in the schema file, and uncomment.
If a relationship exists on a table that was excluded because of a HierarchyID, the relationship is not excluded thus producing an error.
warning 6005: The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version; the column 'DocumentNode' in table 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded.
warning 6031: The column 'DocumentNode' on the table/view 'msimons_HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded, and is a key column. The table/view has been excluded. Please fix the entity in the schema file, and uncomment.
error 6004: The table 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' is referenced by a relationship, but cannot be found.
This behavior seems inconsistent with behavior that caused the table to be excluded. This behavior blocks the retrieval of metadata completely in scenarios like this. Is this the intended behavior of GenerateStoreMetadata? Why doesn’t the relationship get excluded as well in this scenario?
Invoking EntityStoreSchemaGenerator.GenerateStoreMetadata on the SQL2012 version of AdventureWorks will illustrate this issue.
Error message "The table 'AdventureWorks2012.Production.Document' is referenced by a relationship, but cannot be found."
Comments: Regardless of whether we can do something to improve how we handle this scenario in EF6, it would be a good thing to make sure we update the text of these warnings. Where it says "The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version" it should probably refer to the EF version instead.
warning 6005: The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version; the column 'DocumentNode' in table 'HierarchyID2.dbo.Table_1' was excluded.
Similarly if I attach to a DB that has a table with a HierarchyID PK column, EntityStoreSchemaGenerator.GenerateStoreMetadata will generate the EntityContainer but will filter out the entire table and return a warning indicating this.
warning 6005: The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version; the column 'DocumentNode' in table 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded.
warning 6031: The column 'DocumentNode' on the table/view 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded, and is a key column. The table/view has been excluded. Please fix the entity in the schema file, and uncomment.
If a relationship exists on a table that was excluded because of a HierarchyID, the relationship is not excluded thus producing an error.
warning 6005: The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version; the column 'DocumentNode' in table 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded.
warning 6031: The column 'DocumentNode' on the table/view 'msimons_HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' was excluded, and is a key column. The table/view has been excluded. Please fix the entity in the schema file, and uncomment.
error 6004: The table 'HierarchyID.dbo.Table1' is referenced by a relationship, but cannot be found.
This behavior seems inconsistent with behavior that caused the table to be excluded. This behavior blocks the retrieval of metadata completely in scenarios like this. Is this the intended behavior of GenerateStoreMetadata? Why doesn’t the relationship get excluded as well in this scenario?
Invoking EntityStoreSchemaGenerator.GenerateStoreMetadata on the SQL2012 version of AdventureWorks will illustrate this issue.
Error message "The table 'AdventureWorks2012.Production.Document' is referenced by a relationship, but cannot be found."
Comments: Regardless of whether we can do something to improve how we handle this scenario in EF6, it would be a good thing to make sure we update the text of these warnings. Where it says "The data type 'hierarchyid' is currently not supported for the target .NET Framework version" it should probably refer to the EF version instead.