Validation failed for one or more entities. See &#

Question

I am having this error when seeding my database with code first approach.

Validation failed for one or more entities. See 'EntityValidationErrors' property for more details.

To be honest I don't know how to check the content of the validation errors. Visual Studio shows me that it's an array with 8 objects, so 8 validation errors.

This was working with my previous model, but I made a few changes that I explain below:

• I had an enum called Status, I changed it to a class called Status
• I changed the class ApplicantsPositionHistory to have 2 foreign key to the same table

Excuse me for the long code, but I have to paste it all. The exception is thrown in the last line of the following code.

namespace Data.Model
{  
    public class Position
    {
        [DatabaseGenerated(System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]   
        public int PositionID { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Position name is required.")]
        [StringLength(20, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "Name should not be longer than 20 characters.")]
        [Display(Name = "Position name")]              
        public string name { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Number of years is required")] 
        [Display(Name = "Number of years")]        
        public int yearsExperienceRequired { get; set; }

        public virtual ICollection<ApplicantPosition> applicantPosition { get; set; }
    }

    public class Applicant
    {
        [DatabaseGenerated(System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]      
        public int ApplicantID { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Name is required")] 
        [StringLength(20, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage="Name should not be longer than 20 characters.")]
        [Display(Name = "First and LastName")]
        public string name { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Telephone number is required")] 
        [StringLength(10, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "Telephone should not be longer than 20 characters.")]
        [Display(Name = "Telephone Number")]
        public string telephone { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Skype username is required")] 
        [StringLength(10, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "Skype user should not be longer than 20 characters.")]
        [Display(Name = "Skype Username")]
        public string skypeuser { get; set; }

        public byte[] photo { get; set; }

        public virtual ICollection<ApplicantPosition> applicantPosition { get; set; }
    }

    public class ApplicantPosition
    {
        [Key]
        [Column("ApplicantID", Order = 0)]
        public int ApplicantID { get; set; }

        [Key]
        [Column("PositionID", Order = 1)]
        public int PositionID { get; set; }

        public virtual Position Position { get; set; }

        public virtual Applicant Applicant { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Applied date is required")] 
        [DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:d}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]
        [Display(Name = "Date applied")]     
        public DateTime appliedDate { get; set; }

        [Column("StatusID", Order = 0)]
        public int StatusID { get; set; }

        public Status CurrentStatus { get; set; }

        //[NotMapped]
        //public int numberOfApplicantsApplied
        //{
        //    get
        //    {
        //        int query =
        //             (from ap in Position
        //              where ap.Status == (int)Status.Applied
        //              select ap
        //                  ).Count();
        //        return query;
        //    }
        //}
    }

    public class Address
    {
        [StringLength(20, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "Country should not be longer than 20 characters.")]
        public string Country { get; set; }

        [StringLength(20, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "City  should not be longer than 20 characters.")]
        public string City { get; set; }

        [StringLength(50, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "Address  should not be longer than 50 characters.")]
        [Display(Name = "Address Line 1")]     
        public string AddressLine1 { get; set; }

        [Display(Name = "Address Line 2")]
        public string AddressLine2 { get; set; }   
    }

    public class ApplicationPositionHistory
    {
        [DatabaseGenerated(System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]
        public int ApplicationPositionHistoryID { get; set; }

        public ApplicantPosition applicantPosition { get; set; }

        [Column("oldStatusID")]
        public int oldStatusID { get; set; }

        [Column("newStatusID")]
        public int newStatusID { get; set; }

        public Status oldStatus { get; set; }

        public Status newStatus { get; set; }

        [StringLength(500, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "Comments  should not be longer than 500 characters.")]
        [Display(Name = "Comments")]
        public string comments { get; set; }

        [DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:d}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]
        [Display(Name = "Date")]     
        public DateTime dateModified { get; set; }
    }

    public class Status
    {
        [DatabaseGenerated(System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]
        public int StatusID { get; set; }

        [StringLength(20, MinimumLength = 3, ErrorMessage = "Status  should not be longer than 20 characters.")]
        [Display(Name = "Status")]
        public string status { get; set; }
    }
}

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Data.Entity;
using System.IO;

namespace Data.Model
{
    public class HRContextInitializer : DropCreateDatabaseAlways<HRContext>
    {
        protected override void Seed(HRContext context)
        {
            #region Status
            Status applied = new Status() { status = "Applied" };
            Status reviewedByHR = new Status() { status = "Reviewed By HR" };
            Status approvedByHR = new Status() { status = "Approved by HR" };
            Status rejectedByHR = new Status() { status = "Rejected by HR" };
            Status assignedToTechnicalDepartment = new Status() { status = "Assigned to Technical Department" };
            Status approvedByTechnicalDepartment = new Status() { status = "Approved by Technical Department" };
            Status rejectedByTechnicalDepartment = new Status() { status = "Rejected by Technical Department" };

            Status assignedToGeneralManager = new Status() { status = "Assigned to General Manager" };
            Status approvedByGeneralManager = new Status() { status = "Approved by General Manager" };
            Status rejectedByGeneralManager = new Status() { status = "Rejected by General Manager" };

            context.Status.Add(applied);
            context.Status.Add(reviewedByHR);
            context.Status.Add(approvedByHR);
            context.Status.Add(rejectedByHR);
            context.Status.Add(assignedToTechnicalDepartment);
            context.Status.Add(approvedByTechnicalDepartment);
            context.Status.Add(rejectedByTechnicalDepartment);
            context.Status.Add(assignedToGeneralManager);
            context.Status.Add(approvedByGeneralManager);
            context.Status.Add(rejectedByGeneralManager); 
            #endregion    

            #region Position
            Position netdeveloper = new Position() { name = ".net developer", yearsExperienceRequired = 5 };
            Position javadeveloper = new Position() { name = "java developer", yearsExperienceRequired = 5 };
            context.Positions.Add(netdeveloper);
            context.Positions.Add(javadeveloper); 
            #endregion

            #region Applicants
            Applicant luis = new Applicant()
            {
                name = "Luis",
                skypeuser = "le.valencia",
                telephone = "0491732825",
                photo = File.ReadAllBytes(@"C:\Users\LUIS.SIMBIOS\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\SlnHR\HRRazorForms\Content\pictures\1.jpg")
            };

            Applicant john = new Applicant()
            {
                name = "John",
                skypeuser = "jo.valencia",
                telephone = "3435343543",
                photo = File.ReadAllBytes(@"C:\Users\LUIS.SIMBIOS\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\SlnHR\HRRazorForms\Content\pictures\2.jpg")
            };

            context.Applicants.Add(luis);
            context.Applicants.Add(john); 
            #endregion

            #region ApplicantsPositions
            ApplicantPosition appicantposition = new ApplicantPosition()
            {
                Applicant = luis,
                Position = netdeveloper,
                appliedDate = DateTime.Today,
                StatusID = 1
            };

            ApplicantPosition appicantposition2 = new ApplicantPosition()
            {
                Applicant = john,
                Position = javadeveloper,
                appliedDate = DateTime.Today,
                StatusID = 1
            };        

            context.ApplicantsPositions.Add(appicantposition);            
            context.ApplicantsPositions.Add(appicantposition2); 
            #endregion

            context.SaveChanges(); --->> Error here
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

Per @Slauma's answer and @Milton's suggestion I've extended our base class's custom save method with a try/catch that will handle (and hence log in our error logging!) these sorts of exceptions.

// Where `BaseDB` is your Entities object... (it could be `this` in a different design)
public void Save(bool? validateEntities = null)
{
    try
    {
        //Capture and set the validation state if we decide to
        bool validateOnSaveEnabledStartState = BaseDB.Configuration.ValidateOnSaveEnabled;
        if (validateEntities.HasValue)
            BaseDB.Configuration.ValidateOnSaveEnabled = validateEntities.Value;

        BaseDB.SaveChanges();

        //Revert the validation state when done
        if (validateEntities.HasValue)
            BaseDB.Configuration.ValidateOnSaveEnabled = validateOnSaveEnabledStartState;
    }
    catch (DbEntityValidationException e)
    {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        foreach (var eve in e.EntityValidationErrors)
        {
            sb.AppendLine(string.Format("Entity of type \"{0}\" in state \"{1}\" has the following validation errors:", 
                                            eve.Entry.Entity.GetType().Name,
                                            eve.Entry.State));
            foreach (var ve in eve.ValidationErrors)
            {
                sb.AppendLine(string.Format("- Property: \"{0}\", Error: \"{1}\"",
                                            ve.PropertyName,
                                            ve.ErrorMessage));
            }
        }
        throw new DbEntityValidationException(sb.ToString(), e);
    }
}

Answer 2

What i found...when i got 'EntityValidationErrors' error is that....i have a field in my database 'db1' in table 'tbladdress' as 'address1' which has size of 100 (i.e address varchar(100) null) and i was passing value more than 100 characters..and this leading to error while saving data to database....

So you must Check the data you are passing to the field.

Answer 3

As mentioned in other posts, simply catch the exception in DbEntityValidationException class. Which will give you watever you required during error cases.

 try
 {
  ....
 }
 catch(DbEntityValidationException ex)
 {
  ....
 }

Answer 4

For anyone who works in VB.NET

Try
Catch ex As DbEntityValidationException
    For Each a In ex.EntityValidationErrors
        For Each b In a.ValidationErrors
            Dim st1 As String = b.PropertyName
            Dim st2 As String = b.ErrorMessage
        Next
    Next
End Try

Answer 5

If you are simply catching a generic exception, it may benefit you to cast this as a DbEntityValidationException. This type of an exception has a Validation Errors property, and continuing to expand your way into them, you will find all the problems.

For example, if you put a break point in the catch, you can throw the following into a watch:

((System.Data.Entity.Validation.DbEntityValidationException ) ex)

An example of an error is if a field does not allow nulls, and you have a null string, you'll see it say that the field is required.

Answer 6

Here's another way to do it instead of using foreach loops for looking inside EntityValidationErrors. Of course you can format the message to your own liking :

try {
        // your code goes here...
    } 
catch (DbEntityValidationException ex) 
    {
        Console.Write($"Validation errors: {string.Join(Environment.NewLine, ex.EntityValidationErrors.SelectMany(vr => vr.ValidationErrors.Select(err => $"{err.PropertyName} - {err.ErrorMessage}")))}", ex);
        throw;
    }