How can i pass an object (Entity) as a parameter on WebApi Odata

Question

i follow this link Supporting OData Actions in ASP.NET Web API And i want to pass my object/Entity as a parameter like this:

ActionConfiguration addNewPatient = builder.Entity<Patient>().Collection.Action("AddNewPatient");
        addNewPatient.Parameter<int>("hospId");
        addNewPatient.Parameter<int>("docId");
        addNewPatient.Parameter<Patient>("patient");
        addNewPatient.Returns<bool>();

but i got this issue:

System.ArgumentException: Invalid parameter type 'Patient'. 
A non-binding parameter type must be either Primitive, Complex, Collection of Primitive or a Collection of Complex.
Parameter name: parameterType

I tried to implement this

   ActionConfiguration addNewPatient = builder.Entity<Patient>().Collection.Action("AddNewPatient");
    addNewPatient.Parameter<int>("hospId");
    addNewPatient.Parameter<int>("docId");
    var patientConfig = builder.StructuralTypes.OfType<EntityTypeConfiguration>().Single(x => x.Name == "Patient");
    addNewPatient.SetBindingParameter("patient", patientConfig, false);
    addNewPatient.Returns<bool>();

but i can't call method POST ../odata/Patient/AddNewPatient anymore

<FunctionImport Name="AddNewPatient" ReturnType="Edm.Boolean"      IsBindable="true">
<Parameter Name="patient" Type="Patient"/>
<Parameter Name="hospId" Type="Edm.Int32" Nullable="false"/>
<Parameter Name="docId" Type="Edm.Int32" Nullable="false"/>
</FunctionImport>

Please help me, i tried various way but still no luck. Thanks.

did you try builder.Entity<Patient>().Action("AddNewPatient") and the url odata/Patient('patient id')/AddNewPatient — Tasnim Reza
– Tasnim Reza, Commented Nov 14, 2013 at 5:45
According to the error message you must use a Complex type. •Complex type is a structured type without a key. If your patient has a key it won't work. Create a complex patient type in your model and use that as the parameter? — Watson
– Watson, Commented Apr 10, 2015 at 20:52
Any luck with this problem? I also want to send an entity to an action with several other parameters. Non-bindable of course — Michael90
– Michael90, Commented Jul 10, 2015 at 7:02

Alex · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-18 22:49:19Z

3

You can use the ActionConfiguration.EntityParameter() method to bind an entity as a parameter to your OData action method.

Here is an example:

ActionConfiguration validate = ModelBuilder.EntityType<TEntity>()
    .Collection.Action("Validate");
validate.Namespace = "Importation";
validate.EntityParameter<TEntity>(typeof(TEntity).Name);
validate.CollectionParameter<string>("UniqueFields");
validate.Returns<ValidationResult>();

However, note that the ModelState will not check against the content of the supplied Entity and will set any missing properties to null and properties exceeding the StringLength(x) annotation in your model will still pass. If you wish to validate the entity itself after, use this bit of code in your action method:

[HttpPost]
public virtual IHttpActionResult Validate(ODataActionParameters parameters)
{
//First we check if the parameters are correct for the entire action method
    if (!ModelState.IsValid)
    {
         return BadRequest(ModelState);
    }
    else
    {
         //Then we cast our entity parameter in our entity object and validate
         //it through the controller's Validate<TEntity> method
         TEntity Entity = (TEntity)parameters[typeof(TEntity).Name];
         Validate(Entity, typeof(TEntity).Name);
         if (!ModelState.IsValid)
         {
              return BadRequest(ModelState);
         }
         IEnumerable<string> uniqueFields = parameters["UniqueFields"] as IEnumerable<string>;
         bool result = Importer.Validate(Entity, uniqueFields);
         return Ok(result);
    }
}

edited Nov 18, 2015 at 22:49

answered Nov 18, 2015 at 22:25

Alex

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1 Comment

Chris Schaller Over a year ago

Note that you are not limited to using the entity type for the current controller, you are more likely to use this sort of entity post pattern when the entity that you are posting does not match the controller's type. You might be posting child entries against the parent object for instance.

Andy Irving · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-31 11:31:12Z

0

Would it not be better to just POST to /odata/Patient your new patient object? that's kind of what it's there for.

If you want to do it the way you've described, you need to create an intermediate type, and make the parameter of that type, then convert between that and your Edm type.

var createPatient = modelBuilder.Entity<Patient>().Collection.Action("AddNewPatient");
createPatient.CollectionParameter<PatientPdo>("patient");

where PatientPdo is exactly the same as Patient, just with the navigation properties removed. That's what it's complaining about, that it's Edm types all the way down, so to speak.

public class PatientPdo
    {
        public long Id{ get; set; }

        public Entity ToEdmEntity()
        {
            return new Patient
                {
                    Id= Id
                };
        }
    }

answered Dec 31, 2013 at 11:31

Andy Irving

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2 Comments

Jerther Over a year ago

Could you elaborate on how to "just POST the object"? I keep getting: A non-binding parameter type must be either Primitive, Complex, Collection of Primitive or a Collection of Complex.

Chris Schaller Over a year ago

-1 Because it is absolutely possible to pass the Entity typed object, must define the parameter as an EntityParameter<Patient>. We are using OData so that we can avoid creating custom data transfer objects for single use like this. You make a valid point that using the default POST action on this controller might be enough, however there are scenarios where you would like to implement custom alternate actions for posting data to your controller.

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