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POAdding CreatedDate to an entity using Entity Framework 5 Code First
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  1. POAdding CreatedDate to an entity using Entity Framework 5 Code First
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    copied!<p>I am trying to add a <code>CreatedDate</code> property to entities in my Model and am using EF5 Code First. I want this date to not be changed once set, I want it to be a UTC date. I do NOT want to use a constructor, as I have many entities in my model that I want to inherit from an abstract class containing the <code>CreatedDate</code> property, and I can't enforce a constructor with an interface.</p> <p>I have tried different data annotations and I have attempted to write a database initializer that would pick up a specific entity type and write an alter constraint with a <code>getdate()</code> default value for the correct <code>table_name</code> and <code>column_name</code>, but I have not been able to write that code correctly.</p> <p>Please do not refer me to the <a href="http://auditdbcontext.codeplex.com/SourceControl/changeset/view/18413#215563" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AuditDbContext - Entity Framework Auditing Context</a> or the <a href="https://github.com/loresoft/EntityFramework.Extended" rel="nofollow noreferrer">EntityFramework.Extended</a> tools, as they do not do what I need here.</p> <p><strong>UPDATE</strong></p> <p>My <code>CreatedDate</code> is null on <code>SaveChanges()</code> because I am passing a ViewModel to my view, which correctly has no audit property called <code>CreatedDate</code> in it. And even if I passed the model to my view, I am not editing or storing the <code>CreatedDate</code> in the view.</p> <p>I read <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6564772/ef-code-first-readonly-column">here</a> that I could add the <code>[DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]</code> and this would tell EF to store the <code>CreatedDate</code> correctly after Insert and Update, but not allow it to be changed by my application: but I just get a <code>Cannot insert explicit value for identity column in table when IDENTITY_INSERT is set to OFF</code> error by adding this attribute.</p> <p>I am about to switch to EF Model First because this simple database requirement is ridiculous to implement in Code First.</p>
 

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