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I'm building an application using MVC 3 and Entity Framework 4. I've created my Entity Data Model and generated a database from it. Now I know the validation attributes such as [Required] or [StringLength(5)] can be used on the model properties to provide validation both clientside and serverside.

I would like to know if these attributes can also be generated dynamically instead of having to add them to the model explicitly? I saw that in EF 4.1 RC you can make use of the Fluent API to further configure your model in the OnModelCreating method by using the DbModelBuilder class. As shown here I'm working with a framework however that still uses ObjectContext instead of DbContext so I would like to know if the above solution can be used in combination with ObjectContext?

As a final note, since I've been trying to figure out how to generate and use data annotations it seems using view models would increase the complexity of validation. From what I read here it seems that just passing the models directly to the view would remove the need to add annotations to the models as well as the view models. However that means that you can no longer use strongly typed views when you do joins on the models and pass those to the view directly?

Community
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Freek
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I have come across a disturbing issue when using poco classes that are extending base classes. For example, let say you have a Person poco class that has a strongly typed Car property. You also have a Spouse poco that also uses the Car Property.

Now you want to display "Person Car" and "Spouses Car" in the view using the Display("Name = xxx") attribute. You cant!!! Becareful of this issue if you are not using flat View Models

Greg
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No it can't. Fluent API is different approach to describe mapping. You can use fluent API or EDMX (Entity Data Model). Not both. Fluent API also works only with DbContext API. If you want to have annotations generated you can try to modify T4 template generating your classes.

Ladislav Mrnka
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