How to: Execute a Query that Returns StructuralType Results (EntityClient)

This topic provides an example of how to execute a command against an Entity Data Model by using EntityCommand, and how to retrieve the StructuralType results by using EntityDataReader. The EntityType, RowType and ComplexType derive from the StructuralType.

To run the code in this example

1. Add the AdventureWorks Sales Model to your project and configure your project to use the Entity Framework. To do this, do one of the following:

   • If you have the Entity Dada Model tools installed, complete the procedure in How to: Use the Entity Data Model Wizard (Entity Framework).

   • Otherwise, complete the procedures in How to: Manually Configure an Entity Framework Project and How to: Manually Define an Entity Data Model (Entity Framework).

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

   Imports System
   Imports System.Collections.Generic
   Imports System.Collections
   Imports System.Data.Common
   Imports System.Data
   Imports System.Data.SqlClient
   Imports System.Data.EntityClient
   Imports System.Data.Metadata.Edm
   Imports System.IO
   ' Add AdventureWorksModel prepended with the root namespace for the project.
   'Imports ProjectName.AdventureWorksModel
   

   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Collections;
   using System.Data.Common;
   using System.Data;
   using System.IO;
   using System.Data.SqlClient;
   using System.Data.EntityClient;
   using AdventureWorksModel;
   using System.Data.Metadata.Edm;
   

Example

To test the code, pass the following query as an argument to the ExecuteStructuralTypeQuery function:

"SELECT VALUE Product FROM AdventureWorksEntities.Product AS Product"

The query above returns the EntityType results.

Sub ExecuteStructuralTypeQuery(ByVal esqlQuery As String)
    If (esqlQuery.Length = 0) Then
        Console.WriteLine("The query string is empty.")
        Return
    End If


    Using conn As EntityConnection = New EntityConnection("name=AdventureWorksEntities")
        conn.Open()

        Try
            ' Create an EntityCommand.
            Using cmd As EntityCommand = conn.CreateCommand()
                cmd.CommandText = esqlQuery
                ' Execute the command.
                Using reader As EntityDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.SequentialAccess)
                    Do While (reader.Read())
                        StructuralTypeVisitRecord(CType(reader, IExtendedDataRecord))
                    Loop
                End Using
            End Using
        Catch ex As Exception
            Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString())
        End Try
        conn.Close()
    End Using
End Sub

Sub StructuralTypeVisitRecord(ByVal record As IExtendedDataRecord)
    Dim fieldCount As Integer
    fieldCount = record.DataRecordInfo.FieldMetadata.Count
    Dim fieldIndex As Integer
    For fieldIndex = 0 To fieldCount - 1
        Console.Write(record.GetName(fieldIndex) + ": ")

        ' If the field is flagged as DbNull, the shape of the value is undetermined.
        ' An attempt to get such a value may trigger an exception.
        If (record.IsDBNull(fieldIndex) = False) Then
            Dim fieldTypeKind As BuiltInTypeKind = record.DataRecordInfo.FieldMetadata(fieldIndex).FieldType.TypeUsage.EdmType.BuiltInTypeKind()
            ' The EntityType, ComplexType and RowType are structural types
            ' that have members. 
            ' Read only the PrimitiveType members of this structural type.
            If (fieldTypeKind = BuiltInTypeKind.PrimitiveType) Then
                ' Primitive types are surfaced as plain objects.
                Console.WriteLine(record.GetValue(fieldIndex).ToString())
            End If
        End If
    Next
End Sub

static void ExecuteStructuralTypeQuery(string esqlQuery)
{
    if (esqlQuery.Length == 0)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("The query string is empty.");
        return;
    }

    using (EntityConnection conn =
        new EntityConnection("name=AdventureWorksEntities"))
    {
        conn.Open();

        try
        {
            // Create an EntityCommand.
            using (EntityCommand cmd = conn.CreateCommand())
            {
                cmd.CommandText = esqlQuery;
                // Execute the command.
                using (EntityDataReader rdr =
                    cmd.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.SequentialAccess))
                {
                    // Start reading results.
                    while (rdr.Read())
                    {
                        StructuralTypeVisitRecord(rdr as IExtendedDataRecord);
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        catch (EntityException ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
        }
        conn.Close();
    }
}

static void StructuralTypeVisitRecord(IExtendedDataRecord record)
{
    int fieldCount = record.DataRecordInfo.FieldMetadata.Count;
    for (int fieldIndex = 0; fieldIndex < fieldCount; fieldIndex++)
    {
        Console.Write(record.GetName(fieldIndex) + ": ");

        // If the field is flagged as DbNull, the shape of the value is undetermined.
        // An attempt to get such a value may trigger an exception.
        if (record.IsDBNull(fieldIndex) == false)
        {
            BuiltInTypeKind fieldTypeKind = record.DataRecordInfo.FieldMetadata[fieldIndex].
                FieldType.TypeUsage.EdmType.BuiltInTypeKind;
            // The EntityType, ComplexType and RowType are structural types
            // that have members. 
            // Read only the PrimitiveType members of this structural type.
            if (fieldTypeKind == BuiltInTypeKind.PrimitiveType)
            {
                // Primitive types are surfaced as plain objects.
                Console.WriteLine(record.GetValue(fieldIndex).ToString());
            }
        }
    }
}

See Also

Concepts

Entity SQL Reference

Other Resources

Working with EntityClient (Entity Framework Tasks)