Entity Framework ComplexType Data Annotations

The Complex types are non-scalar properties of entity types that enable scalar properties to be organized within entities.

• ComplexType doesn't have keys and therefore cannot exist independently.
• It can only exist as properties of entity types or other complex types.
• It cannot participate in associations and cannot contain navigation properties.
• Complex type properties cannot be null.
• Scalar properties of complex objects can be null.

In the following example, we have added an Address class and decorate it with ComplexType attribute.

public class Author
{
    public int AuthorId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public Address Address { get; set; }
}

[ComplexType]
public class Address
{
    public string City { get; set; }
    public string Street { get; set; }
    public string StateOrProvince { get; set; }
    public string Country { get; set; }
}

You can see that Address class does not have any type of key property. Complex types cannot be tracked on their own, so as a property in the Author class, it will be tracked as part of an author object.

Try it