How to configure Entity Framework many-to-many with bi-directional lookup

Question

I don't know how to properly title this question, so I did my best to come up with a descriptive title.

Basically, I have an Entity Framework entity that looks like the following ...

public class LegalDocument
{
    public int ExampleId { get; set; }
    public virtual ICollection<LegalDocument> LegalDocuments { get; set; }
}

The LegalDocument entity needs to be able to have references to other LegalDocument s. In the reverse direction, I need to be able to see what other LegalDocument s reference this LegalDocument .

So it's like several Entity Framework navigational properties, but I don't know how to specify that one of the properties is for LegalDocument s referenced within this LegalDocument , versus the other LegalDocument s that reference this one.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

You can maintain the relationship in code having this method in the LegalDocument class.

public void RelateDocument(LegalDocument document)
{
    LegalDocuments.Add(document);
    document.LegalDocuments.Add(this);
}

Use it to relate documents instead of using LegalDocuments.Add() directly.

This way LegalDocuments navigation property links to documents that current instance added and documents that added the current instance.

Answer 2

最终可以使用流畅的API的HasMany().WithMany()轻松实现。