Introduction
This article demonstrates an interesting and very useful concept in Entity Framework.
Question: What is a complex type?
In simple terms "Theey help to group a set of properties under a single complex type, that later can be used to get the specific property based on the requested complex type group".
Step 1: Create a new web application
![ComplexType1.png]()
Step 2: New Employee Table is created
![TableForComplexTypeData.png]()
Step 3: Adding New Entity Data Model Framework
![ComplexType2.png]()
Step 4: Adding New Complex Type
![ComplexType4.png]()
![ComplexType5.png]()
For Select Operation
Step 1: The complete code of WebForm1.aspx looks as this:
<%@ Page Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="WebForm1.aspx.cs" Inherits="ComplexTypeSelectDataApp.WebForm1" %>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head id="Head1" runat="server">
<title></title>
</head>
<body>
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<div>
<center>
<table>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" Text="Complex Type - Select Data" Font-Bold="true" Font-Size="Large" Font-Names="Verdana"
ForeColor="Maroon"></asp:Label></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server" Text="Select Data" Font-Names="Verdana" Width="213px" BackColor="Orange" Font-Bold="True" OnClick="Button1_Click" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:GridView ID="GridView1" runat="server" CssClass="grid" BackColor="LightGoldenrodYellow" BorderColor="Tan" BorderWidth="1px" CellPadding="2"ForeColor="Black" GridLines="None">
<AlternatingRowStyle BackColor="PaleGoldenrod" />
<FooterStyle BackColor="Tan" />
<HeaderStyle BackColor="Tan" Font-Bold="True" />
<PagerStyle BackColor="PaleGoldenrod" ForeColor="DarkSlateBlue" HorizontalAlign="Center" />
<SelectedRowStyle BackColor="DarkSlateBlue" ForeColor="GhostWhite" />
<SortedAscendingCellStyle BackColor="#FAFAE7" />
<SortedAscendingHeaderStyle BackColor="#DAC09E" />
<SortedDescendingCellStyle BackColor="#E1DB9C" />
<SortedDescendingHeaderStyle BackColor="#C2A47B" />
<EmptyDataTemplate>No Records Found!</EmptyDataTemplate>
</asp:GridView>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>
</form>
</body>
</html>
Step 2: The complete code of WebForm1.aspx.cs looks as this:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
namespace ComplexTypeSelectDataApp
{
public partial class WebForm1 : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
}
protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
var query = from r in objEntities.tblEmployee select new
{ FirstName = r.EmployeeDetails.FirstName, LastName = r.EmployeeDetails.LastName, Age = r.EmployeeDetails.Age };
GridView1.DataSource = query;GridView1.DataBind();
}
#region Instance MembersCompanyEntities objEntities = new CompanyEntities();
#endregion
}
}
Step 3: The select data output of the application looks as this:
![ComplexType6.png]()
For Insert Operation
Step 1: The code of WebForm1.aspx looks as this:
<body>
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<div>
<center>
<table>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" Text="Complex Type - Insert Data" Font-Bold="true"></asp:Label></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br />
<br />
<table>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label2" runat="server" Text="Please Enter FirstName: " ForeColor="Brown" Font-Bold="true" Font-Italic="true"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label3" runat="server" Text="Please Enter LastName: " ForeColor="Brown" Font-Bold="true" Font-Italic="true"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox2" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label4" runat="server" Text="Please Enter Age: " ForeColor="Brown" Font-Bold="true" Font-Italic="true"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox3" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server" Text="Insert Data" OnClick="Button1_Click" BackColor="Orange" Font-Bold="true" /><br />
<br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br />
<br />
<table>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<asp:Label ID="Label5" runat="server" Font-Bold="true"></asp:Label></td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>
</form>
</body>
Step 2: The code of WebForm1.aspx.cs looks as this:
public partial class WebForm1 : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{ }
protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox1.Text) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox2.Text) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox3.Text))
{
Label5.Text = "Please Enter Some Values";
Label5.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Red;
}
else
{
objEmployee.EmployeeDetails.FirstName = TextBox1.Text;
objEmployee.EmployeeDetails.LastName = TextBox2.Text;
objEmployee.EmployeeDetails.Age = int.Parse(TextBox3.Text);
objEntities.AddTotblEmployee(objEmployee);
objEntities.SaveChanges();
Label5.Text = "Data Inserted Successfully";
Label5.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Green;
TextBox1.Text = string.Empty;
TextBox2.Text = string.Empty;
TextBox3.Text = string.Empty;
}
}
#region Instance MembersCompanyEntities objEntities = new CompanyEntities();
tblEmployee objEmployee = new tblEmployee();
#endregion
}
Step 3: The select data output of the application looks as this:
![ComplexType7.png]()
![ComplexType8.png]()
For Update Operation
Step 1: The code of WebForm1.aspx looks as this:
<body>
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<center>
<div>
<table>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" Text="Update Data - Complex Type" Font-Bold="true" Font-Size="Large" Font-Names="Verdana"
ForeColor="Maroon"></asp:Label></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label6" runat="server" Text="Please Enter Id" Font-Size="Large" Font-Names="Verdana" Font-Italic="true"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox4" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label2" runat="server" Text="Please Enter First Name" Font-Size="Large" Font-Names="Verdana" Font-Italic="true"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label3" runat="server" Text="Please Enter Last Name" Font-Size="Large" Font-Names="Verdana" Font-Italic="true"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox2" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label4" runat="server" Text="Please Enter Age" Font-Size="Large" Font-Names="Verdana" Font-Italic="true"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox3" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server" Text="Update" Font-Names="Verdana" Width="213px" BackColor="Orange" Font-Bold="True" OnClick="Button1_Click" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Label ID="Label5" runat="server" Font-Bold="true" Font-Names="Verdana" ForeColor="Maroon"></asp:Label></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</center>
</form>
</body>
Step 2: The code of WebForm1.aspx.cs looks as this:
public partial class WebForm1 : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e){ }
protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox1.Text) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox2.Text) ||string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox3.Text) ||
string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox4.Text))
{
Label5.Text = "Please Enter Some Data";
Label5.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Red;
}
else
{
var id1 = Convert.ToInt32(TextBox4.Text);
var objEmployee = objEntities.tblEmployee.Where(a => a.EmpId == id1).FirstOrDefault();
objEmployee.EmployeeDetails.FirstName = TextBox1.Text;
objEmployee.EmployeeDetails.LastName = TextBox2.Text;
objEmployee.EmployeeDetails.Age = int.Parse(TextBox3.Text);
objEntities.SaveChanges();
Label5.Text = "Data Updated Successfully";
Label5.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Green;
TextBox1.Text = string.Empty;TextBox2.Text = string.Empty;
TextBox3.Text = string.Empty;TextBox4.Text = string.Empty;
}
}
#region Instance MembersCompanyEntities objEntities = new CompanyEntities();
#endregion
}
Step 3: The select data output of the application looks as this:
![ComplexType9.png]()
![ComplexType10.png]()
For Delete Operation
Step 1: The code of WebForm1.aspx looks as this:
<body>
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<center>
<div>
<table>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" Text="Delete Data - Complex Type App" Font-Bold="true" Font-Size="Large" Font-Names="Verdana"
ForeColor="Maroon"></asp:Label></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="Label2" runat="server" Text="Please Enter Employee FirstName" ForeColor="Brown" Font-Bold="true" Font-Size="Medium" Font
Names="Verdana"></asp:Label></td>
<td>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server"></asp:TextBox></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server" Text="Delete Data" Font-Names="Verdana" Width="213px" BackColor="Orange" Font-Bold="True" OnClick="Button1_Click"
/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<asp:Label ID="Label3" runat="server" Font-Bold="true" Font-Size="Medium" Font-Names="Verdana"></asp:Label></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</center>
</form>
</body>
Step 2: The code of WebForm1.aspx.cs looks as this:
public partial class WebForm1 : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e){ }
protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(TextBox1.Text))
{
Label3.Text = "Please Enter Some Values";
Label3.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Red;
}
else
{
var query = (from r in objEntities.tblEmployee where
r.EmployeeDetails.FirstName == TextBox1.Text select r).Single();
objEntities.DeleteObject(query);
objEntities.SaveChanges();
Label3.Text = "Data Deleted Successfully";
Label3.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Green;TextBox1.Text = string.Empty;
}
}
#region Instance MembersCompanyEntities objEntities = new CompanyEntities();
#endregion
}
Step 3: The select data output of the application looks as this:
![ComplexType11.png]()
![ComplexType12.png]()
I hope this article was useful for you. I look forward for your comments and feedback. Thanks Vijay.