Create and retrieve table relationships

This topic shows how to create and retrieve table relationships.

SDK for .NET: Create and retrieve table relationships sample code

Create a 1:N relationship

The following code sample uses the EligibleCreateOneToManyRelationship method to verify that the Account and Campaign tables can participate in a 1:N relationship and then creates the relationship by using CreateOneToManyRequest.

bool eligibleCreateOneToManyRelationship =
    EligibleCreateOneToManyRelationship("account", "campaign");

if (eligibleCreateOneToManyRelationship)
{
    CreateOneToManyRequest createOneToManyRelationshipRequest =
        new CreateOneToManyRequest
    {
        OneToManyRelationship =
        new OneToManyRelationshipMetadata
        {
            ReferencedEntity = "account",
            ReferencingEntity = "campaign",
            SchemaName = "new_account_campaign",
            AssociatedMenuConfiguration = new AssociatedMenuConfiguration
            {
                Behavior = AssociatedMenuBehavior.UseLabel,
                Group = AssociatedMenuGroup.Details,
                Label = new Label("Account", 1033),
                Order = 10000
            },
            CascadeConfiguration = new CascadeConfiguration
            {
                Assign = CascadeType.NoCascade,
                Delete = CascadeType.RemoveLink,
                Merge = CascadeType.NoCascade,
                Reparent = CascadeType.NoCascade,
                Share = CascadeType.NoCascade,
                Unshare = CascadeType.NoCascade
            }
        },
        Lookup = new LookupAttributeMetadata
        {
            SchemaName = "new_parent_accountid",
            DisplayName = new Label("Account Lookup", 1033),
            RequiredLevel = new AttributeRequiredLevelManagedProperty(AttributeRequiredLevel.None),
            Description = new Label("Sample Lookup", 1033)
        }
    };


    CreateOneToManyResponse createOneToManyRelationshipResponse =
        (CreateOneToManyResponse)service.Execute(
        createOneToManyRelationshipRequest);

    _oneToManyRelationshipId =
        createOneToManyRelationshipResponse.RelationshipId;
    _oneToManyRelationshipName =
        createOneToManyRelationshipRequest.OneToManyRelationship.SchemaName;

    Console.WriteLine(
        "The one-to-many relationship has been created between {0} and {1}.",
        "account", "campaign");
}

EligibleCreateOneToManyRelationship

The following code sample uses the EligibleCreateOneToManyRelationship method that in turn uses CanBeReferencedRequest and CanBeReferencingRequest to verify whether two table can participate in a 1:N relationship.

/// <summary>
/// Determines whether two entities are eligible to participate in a relationship
/// </summary>
/// <param name="referencedEntity">Primary Entity</param>
/// <param name="referencingEntity">Referencing Entity</param>
/// <returns></returns>
public bool EligibleCreateOneToManyRelationship(string referencedEntity,
    string referencingEntity)
{
    //Checks whether the specified entity can be the primary entity in one-to-many
    //relationship.
    CanBeReferencedRequest canBeReferencedRequest = new CanBeReferencedRequest
    {
        EntityName = referencedEntity
    };

    CanBeReferencedResponse canBeReferencedResponse =
        (CanBeReferencedResponse)service.Execute(canBeReferencedRequest);

    if (!canBeReferencedResponse.CanBeReferenced)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(
            "Entity {0} can't be the primary entity in this one-to-many relationship",
            referencedEntity);
    }

    //Checks whether the specified entity can be the referencing entity in one-to-many
    //relationship.
    CanBeReferencingRequest canBereferencingRequest = new CanBeReferencingRequest
    {
        EntityName = referencingEntity
    };

    CanBeReferencingResponse canBeReferencingResponse =
        (CanBeReferencingResponse)service.Execute(canBereferencingRequest);

    if (!canBeReferencingResponse.CanBeReferencing)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(
            "Entity {0} can't be the referencing entity in this one-to-many relationship",
            referencingEntity);
    }


    if (canBeReferencedResponse.CanBeReferenced == true
        && canBeReferencingResponse.CanBeReferencing == true)
    {
        return true;
    }
    else
    {
        return false;
    }
}

Create an N:N relationship

The following code sample uses the EligibleCreateManyToManyRelationship method to verify that the Account and Campaign tables can participate in a N:N relationship and then creates the relationship by using CreateManyToManyRequest.

bool accountEligibleParticipate =
    EligibleCreateManyToManyRelationship("account");
bool campaignEligibleParticipate =
    EligibleCreateManyToManyRelationship("campaign");

if (accountEligibleParticipate && campaignEligibleParticipate)
{

    CreateManyToManyRequest createManyToManyRelationshipRequest =
        new CreateManyToManyRequest
    {
        IntersectEntitySchemaName = "new_accounts_campaigns",
        ManyToManyRelationship = new ManyToManyRelationshipMetadata
        {
            SchemaName = "new_accounts_campaigns",
            Entity1LogicalName = "account",
            Entity1AssociatedMenuConfiguration =
            new AssociatedMenuConfiguration
            {
                Behavior = AssociatedMenuBehavior.UseLabel,
                Group = AssociatedMenuGroup.Details,
                Label = new Label("Account", 1033),
                Order = 10000
            },
            Entity2LogicalName = "campaign",
            Entity2AssociatedMenuConfiguration =
            new AssociatedMenuConfiguration
            {
                Behavior = AssociatedMenuBehavior.UseLabel,
                Group = AssociatedMenuGroup.Details,
                Label = new Label("Campaign", 1033),
                Order = 10000
            }
        }
    };

    CreateManyToManyResponse createManytoManyRelationshipResponse =
        (CreateManyToManyResponse)service.Execute(
        createManyToManyRelationshipRequest);


    _manyToManyRelationshipId =
        createManytoManyRelationshipResponse.ManyToManyRelationshipId;
    _manyToManyRelationshipName =
        createManyToManyRelationshipRequest.ManyToManyRelationship.SchemaName;

    Console.WriteLine(
        "The many-to-many relationship has been created between {0} and {1}.",
        "account", "campaign");
}

EligibleCreateManyToManyRelationship

The following code sample creates a EligibleCreateManyToManyRelationship method that uses CanManyToManyRequest to verify whether a table can participate in a N:N relationship.

/// <summary>
/// Determines whether the entity can participate in a many-to-many relationship.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="entity">Entity</param>
/// <returns></returns>
public bool EligibleCreateManyToManyRelationship(string entity)
{
    CanManyToManyRequest canManyToManyRequest = new CanManyToManyRequest
    {
        EntityName = entity
    };

    CanManyToManyResponse canManyToManyResponse =
        (CanManyToManyResponse)service.Execute(canManyToManyRequest);

    if (!canManyToManyResponse.CanManyToMany)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(
            "Entity {0} can't participate in a many-to-many relationship.",
            entity);
    }

    return canManyToManyResponse.CanManyToMany;
}

Retrieve table relationships

The following code sample retrieves the two table relationships previously created using RetrieveRelationshipRequest. The first example uses the MetadataId and the second uses the Name.

//You can use either the Name or the MetadataId of the relationship.

//Retrieve the One-to-many relationship using the MetadataId.
RetrieveRelationshipRequest retrieveOneToManyRequest =
    new RetrieveRelationshipRequest { MetadataId = _oneToManyRelationshipId };
RetrieveRelationshipResponse retrieveOneToManyResponse =
    (RetrieveRelationshipResponse)service.Execute(retrieveOneToManyRequest);

Console.WriteLine("Retrieved {0} One-to-many relationship by id", retrieveOneToManyResponse.RelationshipMetadata.SchemaName);

//Retrieve the Many-to-many relationship using the Name.
RetrieveRelationshipRequest retrieveManyToManyRequest =
    new RetrieveRelationshipRequest { Name = _manyToManyRelationshipName};
RetrieveRelationshipResponse retrieveManyToManyResponse =
    (RetrieveRelationshipResponse)service.Execute(retrieveManyToManyRequest);

Console.WriteLine("Retrieved {0} Many-to-Many relationship by Name", retrieveManyToManyResponse.RelationshipMetadata.MetadataId);

See Also

Table relationship definition messages