Commented Issue: Port Fix: An enum in a different assembly triggers type loading, causing "The mapping of CLR type to EDM type is ambiguous because multiple CLR types match the EDM type" for EF4.x app on .NET 4.5 [596]

We're using EF 4.3.1 code-first under .NET 4.0 and VS2012. We have a query that looks similar to the following:

ctx.Set<Entities.A>().Select(a => new DTO.A { Id = a.Id, Name = a.Name }).ToArray();

Entities.A is defined in an assembly called Entities and DTO.A is defined in an assembly called DTO. Under VS2010 EF 4.3 this worked fine, but under EF 5.0 it throws the following exception:

Schema specified is not valid. Errors:
The mapping of CLR type to EDM type is ambiguous because multiple CLR types match the EDM type 'A'. Previously found CLR type 'Entities.A', newly found CLR type 'DTO.A'.

Stack trace is

at System.Data.Metadata.Edm.ObjectItemCollection.LoadAssemblyFromCache(ObjectItemCollection objectItemCollection, Assembly assembly, Boolean loadReferencedAssemblies, EdmItemCollection edmItemCollection, Action'1 logLoadMessage)
at System.Data.Metadata.Edm.ObjectItemCollection.ImplicitLoadAssemblyForType(Type type, EdmItemCollection edmItemCollection)
at System.Data.Metadata.Edm.MetadataWorkspace.ImplicitLoadAssemblyForType(Type type, Assembly callingAssembly)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TryGetValueLayerType(Type linqType, TypeUsage& type)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.GetCastTargetType(TypeUsage fromType, Type toClrType, Type fromClrType, Boolean preserveCastForDateTime)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.CreateCastExpression(DbExpression source, Type toClrType, Type fromClrType)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.ConvertTranslator.TranslateUnary(ExpressionConverter parent, UnaryExpression unary, DbExpression operand)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.UnaryTranslator.TypedTranslate(ExpressionConverter parent, UnaryExpression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TypedTranslator`1.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateExpression(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.UnaryTranslator.TypedTranslate(ExpressionConverter parent, UnaryExpression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TypedTranslator`1.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateExpression(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MemberInitTranslator.TypedTranslate(ExpressionConverter parent, MemberInitExpression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TypedTranslator`1.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateExpression(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateLambda(LambdaExpression lambda, DbExpression input)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateLambda(LambdaExpression lambda, DbExpression input, DbExpressionBinding& binding)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.OneLambdaTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call, DbExpression& source, DbExpressionBinding& sourceBinding, DbExpression& lambda)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.SelectTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.SequenceMethodTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call, SequenceMethod sequenceMethod)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.TypedTranslate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TypedTranslator`1.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateExpression(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MemberInitTranslator.TypedTranslate(ExpressionConverter parent, MemberInitExpression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TypedTranslator`1.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateExpression(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateLambda(LambdaExpression lambda, DbExpression input)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateLambda(LambdaExpression lambda, DbExpression input, DbExpressionBinding& binding)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.OneLambdaTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call, DbExpression& source, DbExpressionBinding& sourceBinding, DbExpression& lambda)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.SelectTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.SequenceMethodTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call, SequenceMethod sequenceMethod)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.TypedTranslate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TypedTranslator`1.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateExpression(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateSet(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.UnarySequenceMethodTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.SequenceMethodTranslator.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression call, SequenceMethod sequenceMethod)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.MethodCallTranslator.TypedTranslate(ExpressionConverter parent, MethodCallExpression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TypedTranslator`1.Translate(ExpressionConverter parent, Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.TranslateExpression(Expression linq)
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ExpressionConverter.Convert()
at System.Data.Objects.ELinq.ELinqQueryState.GetExecutionPlan(Nullable`1 forMergeOption)
at System.Data.Objects.ObjectQuery`1.GetResults(Nullable`1 forMergeOption)

I'd understand the problem if the types were in the same assembly (a long documented issue with EF whereby it cannot disambiguate using just the entity name), but from a different assembly?

Is this a regression, it used to work...?
Comments: Fixed in 2533dfd92018 by David Obando committed by ajcvickers WolfInEnumsClothing - porting the fix to workitem 596 from the original changes made on .NET 4.5 updates. Enums are supported as a feature starting on EDM version 3, which was released with .NET 4.5 as part of EF5. This fix basically inhibits type discovery of enum types when there are enums interacting as part of a Linq query. Instead, we resolve to the underlying type (such as Int32, etc). For more details see http://entityframework.codeplex.com/workitem/596.