Error the entity type requires a primary key

Question

I would like to expand the question asked on this thread

by giving it an ability to persistent the data. The structure is mostly the same except I installed Entity Framework Core, created a DbContext class to hold the records. I added a button to save the dataset to SQL Server. I did not encounter the compiling error but when I attempted to save the data in the database I got this run time exception:

Message=The entity type 'Fruit' requires a primary key to be defined.

The whole exception in its entirety is listed below

System.InvalidOperationException was unhandled
HResult=-2146233079
Message=The entity type 'Fruit' requires a primary key to be defined.
Source=Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
StackTrace:
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Internal.ModelValidator.ShowError(String message)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Internal.ModelValidator.EnsureNonNullPrimaryKeys(IModel model)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Internal.ModelValidator.Validate(IModel model)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Internal.RelationalModelValidator.Validate(IModel model)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure.ModelSource.CreateModel(DbContext context, IConventionSetBuilder conventionSetBuilder, IModelValidator validator)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure.ModelSource.<>c__DisplayClass14_0.b__0(Object k)
at System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentDictionary2.GetOrAdd(TKey key, Func2 valueFactory)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure.ModelSource.GetModel(DbContext context, IConventionSetBuilder conventionSetBuilder, IModelValidator validator)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Internal.DbContextServices.CreateModel()
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Internal.LazyRef1.get_Value() at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Internal.DbContextServices.get_Model() at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure.EntityFrameworkServiceCollectionExtensions.<>c.<AddEntityFramework>b__0_6(IServiceProvider p) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteRuntimeResolver.VisitFactoryService(FactoryService factoryService, ServiceProvider provider) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteVisitor2.VisitCallSite(IServiceCallSite callSite, TArgument argument)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteRuntimeResolver.VisitScoped(ScopedCallSite scopedCallSite, ServiceProvider provider)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteVisitor2.VisitCallSite(IServiceCallSite callSite, TArgument argument) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteRuntimeResolver.VisitConstructor(ConstructorCallSite constructorCallSite, ServiceProvider provider) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteVisitor2.VisitCallSite(IServiceCallSite callSite, TArgument argument)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteRuntimeResolver.VisitScoped(ScopedCallSite scopedCallSite, ServiceProvider provider)
at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLookup.CallSiteVisitor2.VisitCallSite(IServiceCallSite callSite, TArgument argument) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceProvider.<>c__DisplayClass16_0.<RealizeService>b__0(ServiceProvider provider) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceProvider.GetService(Type serviceType) at Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceProviderServiceExtensions.GetService[T](IServiceProvider provider) at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Infrastructure.AccessorExtensions.GetService[TService](IInfrastructure1 accessor)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.ChangeTracking.ChangeTracker.get_StateManager()
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.ChangeTracking.ChangeTracker.DetectChanges()
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.DbContext.TryDetectChanges()
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.DbContext.SaveChanges(Boolean acceptAllChangesOnSuccess)
at Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.DbContext.SaveChanges()
at Fruits.MainWindow.SaveFruitCommandBinding_Executed(Object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e) in D:\Frank\Test\Fruits\Fruits\MainWindow.xaml.cs:line 50
at System.Windows.Input.CommandBinding.OnExecuted(Object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Input.CommandManager.ExecuteCommandBinding(Object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e, CommandBinding commandBinding)
at System.Windows.Input.CommandManager.FindCommandBinding(CommandBindingCollection commandBindings, Object sender, RoutedEventArgs e, ICommand command, Boolean execute)
at System.Windows.Input.CommandManager.FindCommandBinding(Object sender, RoutedEventArgs e, ICommand command, Boolean execute)
at System.Windows.Input.CommandManager.OnExecuted(Object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.UIElement.OnExecutedThunk(Object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.Input.ExecutedRoutedEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(Delegate genericHandler, Object target) at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(Delegate handler, Object target) at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(Object target, RoutedEventArgs routedEventArgs) at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised) at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEvent(RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean trusted) at System.Windows.Input.RoutedCommand.ExecuteImpl(Object parameter, IInputElement target, Boolean userInitiated) at System.Windows.Input.RoutedCommand.ExecuteCore(Object parameter, IInputElement target, Boolean userInitiated) at MS.Internal.Commands.CommandHelpers.CriticalExecuteCommandSource(ICommandSource commandSource, Boolean userInitiated) at System.Windows.Controls.Primitives.ButtonBase.OnClick() at System.Windows.Controls.Button.OnClick() at System.Windows.Controls.Primitives.ButtonBase.OnMouseLeftButtonUp(MouseButtonEventArgs e) at System.Windows.UIElement.OnMouseLeftButtonUpThunk(Object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e) at System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(Delegate genericHandler, Object genericTarget) at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(Delegate handler, Object target) at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(Object target, RoutedEventArgs routedEventArgs) at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised) at System.Windows.UIElement.ReRaiseEventAs(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args, RoutedEvent newEvent) at System.Windows.UIElement.OnMouseUpThunk(Object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e) at System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(Delegate genericHandler, Object genericTarget) at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(Delegate handler, Object target) at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(Object target, RoutedEventArgs routedEventArgs) at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised) at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseTrustedEvent(RoutedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEvent(RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean trusted) at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessStagingArea() at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessInput(InputEventArgs input) at System.Windows.Input.InputProviderSite.ReportInput(InputReport inputReport) at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.ReportInput(IntPtr hwnd, InputMode mode, Int32 timestamp, RawMouseActions actions, Int32 x, Int32 y, Int32 wheel) at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.FilterMessage(IntPtr hwnd, WindowMessage msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled) at System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.InputFilterMessage(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled) at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled) at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(Object o) at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs) at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler) at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.LegacyInvokeImpl(DispatcherPriority priority, TimeSpan timeout, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs) at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam) at MS.Win32.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessage(MSG& msg) at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrameImpl(DispatcherFrame frame) at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrame(DispatcherFrame frame) at System.Windows.Application.RunDispatcher(Object ignore) at System.Windows.Application.RunInternal(Window window) at System.Windows.Application.Run(Window window) at System.Windows.Application.Run() at Fruits.App.Main() at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(RuntimeAssembly assembly, String[] args) at System.AppDomain.ExecuteAssembly(String assemblyFile, Evidence assemblySecurity, String[] args) at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssembly() at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state) at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart() InnerException:

This is the updated class Fruit:

namespace Fruits.ViewModels
{
    [Table("Fruits")]
    public  class Fruit : ViewModelBase
    {
        #region Constractor
        public Fruit()
        {
        }
        public Fruit(string name, String clrString)
        {
            FruitName = name;
            //  Parse colors like so: (Color)ColorConverter.ConvertFromString(clrString);
            FruitColor = clrString;
            _id = Guid.NewGuid();
        }
        public Fruit(string name, Color clr)
        {
            FruitName = name;
            FruitColor = clr.ToString();
            _id = Guid.NewGuid();
        }

        #endregion

        #region Properties
        private Guid _id;
        [Key]
        public Guid ID
        {
            get { return _id; }
        }

        #region FruitName
        private string _fruitname;
        public string FruitName
        {
            get
            {
                return _fruitname;
            }
            set
            {
                if (_fruitname != value)
                {
                    _fruitname = value;
                    OnPropertyChanged("FruitName");
                }
            }
        }
        #endregion

        #region FruitColor
        private String _fruitcolor;
        public String FruitColor
        {
            get
            {
                return _fruitcolor;
            }
            set
            {
                if (_fruitcolor != value)
                {
                    _fruitcolor = value;
                    OnPropertyChanged("FruitColor");
                }
            }
        }
        #endregion

        #region Selected Property
        private bool _isSelected = true;
        //  NOTE: I renamed this property
        public bool IsSelected
        {
            get
            {
                return _isSelected;
            }
            set
            {
                if (_isSelected != value)
                {
                    _isSelected = value;
                    OnPropertyChanged("IsSelected");
                }
            }
        }
        #endregion

        #endregion
    }
}

The updated MainWindows xaml (to add a save button)

<Window x:Class="Fruits.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
        xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
        xmlns:local="clr-namespace:Fruits"
        mc:Ignorable="d"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Window.Resources>
        <RoutedCommand x:Key="AddFruit" />
        <RoutedCommand x:Key='SaveFruit' />
    </Window.Resources>
    <Window.CommandBindings>
        <CommandBinding Command='{StaticResource AddFruit}'
                                        Executed='AddFruitCommandBinding_Executed'
                                        CanExecute='AddFruitCommandBinding_CanExecute' />
        <CommandBinding Command='{StaticResource SaveFruit}'
                                        Executed='SaveFruitCommandBinding_Executed'
                                        CanExecute='SaveFruitCommandBinding_CanExecute' />
    </Window.CommandBindings>
    <Grid>
        <StackPanel Orientation='Vertical'
                                Margin='10'>
            <CheckBox IsChecked="{Binding ShowSelectedFruitOnly}">Selected Fruit Only</CheckBox>
            <ListBox x:Name='MyList'
                             ItemsSource="{Binding FruitsView}"
                             ItemTemplate='{StaticResource FruitTemp}' />
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal"
                                    Margin="0,10,0,0">
                <Label Width="100">New Name:</Label>
                <TextBox Width="200"
                                 Text="{Binding NewFruitName, Mode=TwoWay }" 
                                 />
            </StackPanel>
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal"
                                    Margin="0,10,0,0">
                <Label Width="100">New Color:</Label>
                <!--<TextBox Width="200"
                                 Text="{Binding NewFruitColor, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />-->
                <TextBox Width="200"
                                 Text="{Binding NewFruitColor, Mode=TwoWay }" />

                <ContentControl Style="{StaticResource ColorSwatch}"
                                                Margin="2"
                                                VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                                Content="{Binding NewFruitColor}" />
            </StackPanel>
            <StackPanel Orientation='Horizontal'>
            <Button x:Name='AddFruit'
                            Height='auto'
                            Width='auto'
                            Content='Add New Fruit 2'
                            Margin='0,10,0,0'
                            Command='{StaticResource AddFruit}' />
                <Button x:Name='SaveFruit'
                                Height='auto'
                                Width='auto'
                                Content='Save Fruit'
                                Margin='100,10,0,0'
                                Command='{StaticResource SaveFruit}' />
            </StackPanel>
        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>
</Window>

and my code behind the mainwindows (added handler)

using Fruits.ViewModels;
using System;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Input;

namespace Fruits
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
    /// </summary>
    public partial class MainWindow : Window
    {
        public MainWindow()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            DataContext = new MainViewModel();

            ViewModel.AddNewFruit("Jackfruit", "Yellow");
            ViewModel.AddNewFruit("Watermelon", "ForestGreen");
            ViewModel.AddNewFruit("Apple", "Red");
            ViewModel.AddNewFruit("Banana", "Yellow");
            ViewModel.AddNewFruit("Orange", "DeepSkyBlue");

            //ViewModel.Fruits[0].IsSelected = false;
            //ViewModel.Fruits[1].IsSelected = false;

            ViewModel.FruitsView.Refresh();
        }

        public MainViewModel ViewModel { get { return DataContext as MainViewModel; } }

        private void AddFruitCommandBinding_Executed(object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            ViewModel.AddNewFruit();
        }

        private void AddFruitCommandBinding_CanExecute(object sender, CanExecuteRoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            e.CanExecute =
                    ViewModel != null
                    && !String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(ViewModel.NewFruitName)
                    && !String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(ViewModel.NewFruitColor)
                    ;
        }

        private void SaveFruitCommandBinding_Executed(object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            using (var db=new FruitDbContext())
            {
                db.SaveChanges();
            }
        }

        private void SaveFruitCommandBinding_CanExecute(object sender, CanExecuteRoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            e.CanExecute = true;
        }
    }
}

My newly added dbContext:

namespace Fruits.ViewModels
{
    public class FruitDbContext:DbContext
    {
        public DbSet<Fruit> Fruits { get; set; }
        protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder optionBuilder)
        {
            optionBuilder.UseSqlServer(@"Server = xxx; Database=Test; Integrated Security = True");
        }
    }
}

Other classes remain unchanged, but I listed them anyway:

ViewModelBase

    namespace Fruits.ViewModels
    {
        public  class ViewModelBase : INotifyPropertyChanged
        {
            public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
            public void OnPropertyChanged(string name)
            {
                if (PropertyChanged != null)
                {
                    PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
                }
            }
        }
    }

ViewModel

using System;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Media;

namespace Fruits.ViewModels
{

    #region MainViewModel Class
    public class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
    {
        public  MainViewModel()
        {
            Fruits = new ObservableCollection<Fruit>();

        }
        public ICollectionView FruitsView { get; private set; }

        #region ShowSelectedFruitOnly Property
        private bool _showSelectedFruitOnly = true;
        public bool ShowSelectedFruitOnly
        {
            get { return _showSelectedFruitOnly; }
            set
            {
                if (value != _showSelectedFruitOnly)
                {
                    _showSelectedFruitOnly = value;
                    FruitsView.Refresh();
                    OnPropertyChanged("ShowSelectedFruitOnly");
                }
            }
        }
        #endregion ShowSelectedFruitOnly Property

        #region Add Methods
        public void AddNewFruit()
        {
            Fruits.Add(new Fruit(NewFruitName, NewFruitColor));

            NewFruitName = "";
            NewFruitColor = "";
        }
        public void AddNewFruit(string name, string color)
        {
            Fruits.Add(new Fruit(name, color));
        }
        public void AddNewFruit(string name, Color color)
        {
            Fruits.Add(new Fruit(name, color));
        }
        #endregion Add Methods

        #region NewFruitName Property
        private String _newFruitName = default(String);
        public String NewFruitName
        {
            get { return _newFruitName; }
            set
            {
                if (value != _newFruitName)
                {
                    _newFruitName = value;
                    OnPropertyChanged("NewFruitName");
                }
            }
        }
        #endregion NewFruitName Property

        #region NewFruitColor Property
        private String _newFruitColor = default(String);
        public String NewFruitColor
        {
            get { return _newFruitColor; }
            set
            {
                if (value != _newFruitColor)
                {
                    _newFruitColor = value;
                    OnPropertyChanged("NewFruitColor");
                }
            }
        }
        #endregion NewFruitColor Property

        #region Fruits Property
        private static ObservableCollection<Fruit> _fruits;
        public ObservableCollection<Fruit> Fruits
        {
            get { return _fruits; }
            private set
            {
                if (value != _fruits)
                {
                    _fruits = value;

                    FruitsView = CollectionViewSource.GetDefaultView(Fruits);

                    FruitsView.Filter = FruitFilterPredicate;
                    FruitsView.Refresh();

                    OnPropertyChanged("Fruits");
                }
            }
        }
        protected bool FruitFilterPredicate(Object o)
        {
            if (ShowSelectedFruitOnly)
            {
                return (o as Fruit).IsSelected;
            }

            return true;
        }
        #endregion Fruits Property
    }

    #endregion MainViewModel Class
}

App.xaml

<Application x:Class="Fruits.App"
             xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
             xmlns:local="clr-namespace:Fruits"
             StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml">
    <Application.Resources>
        <Style x:Key="ColorSwatch"
                     TargetType="ContentControl">
            <Setter Property="Width"
                            Value="24" />
            <Setter Property="Height"
                            Value="24" />
            <Setter Property="IsTabStop"
                            Value="false" />
            <Setter Property="ContentTemplate">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <DataTemplate>
                        <Rectangle HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
                                             VerticalAlignment="Stretch"
                                             Stroke="Gray"
                                             StrokeThickness="1">
                            <Rectangle.Fill>
                                <SolidColorBrush Color="{Binding}" />
                            </Rectangle.Fill>
                        </Rectangle>
                    </DataTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Style>

        <DataTemplate x:Key='FruitTemp'>
            <StackPanel Orientation='Horizontal'
                                    Margin='5'>
                <TextBlock x:Name='tbName'
                                     Text='{Binding FruitName}'
                                     Margin='10,0,0,0'
                                     Width='100' />
                <TextBlock x:Name='tbColor'
                                     Text='{Binding FruitColor}'
                                     Margin='10,0,0,0'
                                     Width='100' />
                <ContentControl Width="16"
                                                Height="16"
                                                Style="{StaticResource ColorSwatch}"
                                                Content="{Binding FruitColor}" />
                <!-- The problem here was you were trying to bind Checked, an event, 
                instead if IsChecked, a bool? property. 
                -->
                <CheckBox x:Name='cbSelected'
                                    Content='Selected'
                                    Margin='10,0,0,0'
                                    IsChecked='{Binding IsSelected}' />
            </StackPanel>
        </DataTemplate>
    </Application.Resources>
</Application>

The structure of my project

My table in SQL Server:

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Fruits]
(
    [ID] [uniqueidentifier] NOT NULL,
    [FruitName] [nvarchar](50) NULL,
    [FruitColor] [nvarchar](50) NULL,
    [IsSelected] [nvarchar](1) NULL,

     CONSTRAINT [PK_Fruit] 
        PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([ID] ASC)
                    WITH (PAD_INDEX = OFF, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = OFF, 
                          IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON, 
                          ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON) ON [PRIMARY]
) ON [PRIMARY]

Please advise why the message said there was no primary key while it does exist

User · Answer

I came here with similar error      System InvalidOperationException   The entity type  MyType  requires a primary key to be defined     After reading answer by hvd  realized I had simply forgotten to make my key property  public   This    namespace MyApp Models Schedule       public class MyType                Key          int Id   get  set                      Should be this    namespace MyApp Models Schedule       public class MyType                Key          public int Id   get  set        must be public

User · Answer

When I used the Scaffold-DbContext command, it didn't include the "[key]" annotation in the model files or the "entity.HasKey(..)" entry in the "modelBuilder.Entity" blocks. My solution was to add a line like this in every "modelBuilder.Entity" block in the *Context.cs file:

entity.HasKey(X => x.Id);

I'm not saying this is better, or even the right way. I'm just saying that it worked for me.

User · Answer

This worked for me   using System ComponentModel DataAnnotations    Key  public int ID   get  set

User · Answer

None of the answers worked until I removed the HasNoKey   method from the entity  Dont forget to remove this from your data context or the  Key  attribute will not fix anything

User · Answer

Removed and added back in the table using Scaffold-DbContext and the error went away

User · Answer

Your Id property needs to have a setter  However the setter can be private  The  Key  attribute is not necessary if the property is named  Id  as it will find it through the naming convention where it looks for a key with the name  Id    public Guid Id   get                    Will not work public Guid Id   get  set               Will work public Guid Id   get  private set       Will also work

User · Answer

The entity type  DisplayFormatAttribute  requires a primary key to be   defined    In my case I figured out the problem was that I used properties like this   public string LastName   get  set       OK public string Address   get  set        OK  public string State   get  set          OK public int  Zip   get  set              OK public EmailAddressAttribute Email   get  set       NOT OK public PhoneAttribute PhoneNumber   get  set        NOT OK   Not sure if there is a better way to solve it but I changed the Email and PhoneNumber attribute to a string  Problem solved

User · Answer

Make sure you have the following condition:

Use [key] if your primary key name is not Id or ID.
Use the public keyword.
Primary key should have getter and setter.

Example:

public class MyEntity {
   [key]
   public Guid Id {get; set;}
}

User · Answer

This exception message doesn t mean it requires a primary key to be defined in your database  it means it requires a primary key to be defined in your class   Although you ve attempted to do so    private Guid  id   Key  public Guid ID       get   return  id         This has no effect  as Entity Framework ignores read-only properties  It has to  when it retrieves a Fruits record from the database  it constructs a Fruit object  and then calls the property setters for each mapped property  That s never going to work for read-only properties   You need Entity Framework to be able to set the value of ID  This means the property needs to have a setter

User · Answer

Yet another reason may be that your entity class has several properties named somhow /.*id/i - so ending with ID case insensitive AND elementary type AND there is no [Key] attribute.

EF will namely try to figure out the PK by itself by looking for elementary typed properties ending in ID.

See my case:

public class MyTest, IMustHaveTenant
{
  public long Id { get; set; }
  public int TenantId { get; set; }
  [MaxLength(32)]
  public virtual string Signum{ get; set; }
  public virtual string ID { get; set; }
  public virtual string ID_Other { get; set; }
}

don't ask - lecacy code. The Id was even inherited, so I could not use [Key] (just simplifying the code here)

But here EF is totally confused.

What helped was using modelbuilder this in DBContext class.

            modelBuilder.Entity<MyTest>(f =>
            {
                f.HasKey(e => e.Id);
                f.HasIndex(e => new { e.TenantId });
                f.HasIndex(e => new { e.TenantId, e.ID_Other });
            });

the index on PK is implicit.

User · Answer

I found a bit different cause of the error. It seems like SQLite wants to use correct primary key class property name. So...

Wrong PK name

public class Client
{
  public int SomeFieldName { get; set; }  // It is the ID
  ...
}

Correct PK name

public class Client
{
  public int Id { get; set; }  // It is the ID
  ...
}

public class Client
{
  public int ClientId { get; set; }  // It is the ID
  ...
}

It still posible to use wrong PK name but we have to use [Key] attribute like

public class Client
{
   [Key]
   public int SomeFieldName { get; set; }  // It is the ID
   ...
}

[c#] Error: the entity type requires a primary key

The answer is

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