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How to: Execute a Polymorphic Query

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This topic shows how to execute a polymorphic Entity SQL query using the OFTYPE operator.

To run the code in this example

  1. Add the School Model to your project and configure your project to use the Entity Framework. For more information, see How to: Use the Entity Data Model Wizard.

  2. In the code page for your application, add the following using directives (Imports in Visual Basic):

    using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.Common;
using System.Data.EntityClient;
using System.Data.Metadata.Edm;

    Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Data.Common
Imports System.Data
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Imports System.Data.EntityClient
Imports System.Data.Metadata.Edm

  3. Modify the conceptual model to have a table-per-hierarchy inheritance by following the steps in Walkthrough: Mapping Inheritance - Table-per-Hierarchy.

Example

The following example uses an OFTYPE operator to get and display a collection of only OnsiteCourses from a collection of Courses.

using (EntityConnection conn = new EntityConnection("name=SchoolEntities"))
{
    conn.Open();
    // Create a query that specifies to
    // get a collection of only OnsiteCourses.

    string esqlQuery = @"SELECT VAlUE onsiteCourse FROM
        OFTYPE(SchoolEntities.Courses, SchoolModel.OnsiteCourse)
        AS onsiteCourse";
    using (EntityCommand cmd = new EntityCommand(esqlQuery, conn))
    {
        // Execute the command.
        using (DbDataReader rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.SequentialAccess))
        {
            // Start reading.
            while (rdr.Read())
            {
                // Display OnsiteCourse's location.
                Console.WriteLine("CourseID: {0} ", rdr["CourseID"]);
                Console.WriteLine("Location: {0} ", rdr["Location"]);
            }
        }
    }
}

Using conn As New EntityConnection("name=SchoolEntities")
    conn.Open()
    ' Create a query that specifies to 
    ' get a collection of only OnsiteCourses. 

    Dim esqlQuery As String = "SELECT VAlUE onsiteCourse FROM " & _
        "OFTYPE(SchoolEntities.Courses, SchoolModel.OnsiteCourse) AS onsiteCourse"
    Using cmd As New EntityCommand(esqlQuery, conn)
        ' Execute the command. 
        Using rdr As DbDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.SequentialAccess)
            ' Start reading. 
            While rdr.Read()
                ' Display OnsiteCourse's location. 
                Console.WriteLine("CourseID: {0} ", rdr("CourseID"))
                Console.WriteLine("Location: {0} ", rdr("Location"))
            End While
        End Using
    End Using
End Using

See also