How to create a EntitySet or Model without creating corresponding table in database - Entity Framework

Question

I have a stored procedure in my sqlserver database which is returning multiple resultset.

I am using following link from msdn to read multiple resultset from SP in entity framework.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj691402(v=vs.113).aspx

To read data, I need to have DBSets in xyzDBContext class for each of the resultsets.

Model Class:

public class AreaView
{
    public String Area { get; set; }
    public String Weight { get; set; }

}

DBContext:

 public class EnsembleAPIContext : DbContext
    {
       public DbSet<AreaView> area {get; set;}

// I want to prevent this table from getting created in db

      }

This is how I am reading resultset and mapping it with above created dbset.

 reader.NextResult();
                    var contributionArea = ((IObjectContextAdapter)db)
                       .ObjectContext
                       .Translate<ContributionArea>(reader, "area ", MergeOption.AppendOnly);

What I need to do is I want to create entity for these resultsets, but I dont want framework to create tables for these entities in database.

Note: Reason for doing this is, resultset which is returned by sp doesnt have a primary key, so suppose we can have a valid table created using entity without PK.

Is this possible?

Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

The answer to "If we can skip creating tables in database with Entity framework is": Yes

Use [NotMapped] attribute.

 [NotMapped]
   public class Employee
    {
        public int ID { get; set; }
        public String name { get; set; }
    }

You can use this model for general purpose and table wont be created for this in database.

Another way of doing this is

In OnModelCreating() method

modelBuilder.Ignore<Employee>();

This way DBContext will ignore creating table for this model.

Answer 2

Can we create a DBSet<> without creating corresponding table in database

No. DbSet<T> represents a real database table or view.

To read data, I need to have DBSets in xyzDBContext class for each of the resultsets.

You don't. The ObjectContext.Translate method can be used to map DbReader to any class. The linked example is using entity types, but there is another Translate method overload which works for any type as described in Directly Executing Store Commands MSDN topic - Materializing the Result Type section.

With that being said, remove the DbSet from your context and use something like this:

var areaView = ((IObjectContextAdapter)db).ObjectContext.Translate<AreaView>(reader);