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

While you are in debug mode within the catch {...} block open up the "QuickWatch" window (ctrl+alt+q) and paste in there:

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

or:

((System.Data.Entity.Validation.DbEntityValidationException)$exception).EntityValidationErrors

If you are not in a try/catch or don't have access to the exception object.

This will allow you to drill down into the ValidationErrors tree. It's the easiest way I've found to get instant insight into these errors.

Answer 2

The answer from @Slauma is really great but I found that it didnt't work when a ComplexType property was invalid.

For example, say you have a property Phone of the complex type PhoneNumber. If the AreaCode property is invalid, the property name in ve.PropertyNames is "Phone.AreaCode". This causes the call to eve.Entry.CurrentValues<object>(ve.PropertyName) to fail.

To fix this, you can split the property name at each ., then recurse through the resulting array of property names. Finally, when you arrive at the bottom of the chain, you can simply return the value of the property.

Below is @Slauma's FormattedDbEntityValidationException class with support for ComplexTypes.

Enjoy!

[Serializable]
public class FormattedDbEntityValidationException : Exception
{
    public FormattedDbEntityValidationException(DbEntityValidationException innerException) :
        base(null, innerException)
    {
    }

    public override string Message
    {
        get
        {
            var innerException = InnerException as DbEntityValidationException;
            if (innerException == null) return base.Message;

            var sb = new StringBuilder();

            sb.AppendLine();
            sb.AppendLine();
            foreach (var eve in innerException.EntityValidationErrors)
            {
                sb.AppendLine(string.Format("- Entity of type \"{0}\" in state \"{1}\" has the following validation errors:",
                    eve.Entry.Entity.GetType().FullName, eve.Entry.State));
                foreach (var ve in eve.ValidationErrors)
                {
                    object value;
                    if (ve.PropertyName.Contains("."))
                    {
                        var propertyChain = ve.PropertyName.Split('.');
                        var complexProperty = eve.Entry.CurrentValues.GetValue<DbPropertyValues>(propertyChain.First());
                        value = GetComplexPropertyValue(complexProperty, propertyChain.Skip(1).ToArray());
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        value = eve.Entry.CurrentValues.GetValue<object>(ve.PropertyName);
                    }
                    sb.AppendLine(string.Format("-- Property: \"{0}\", Value: \"{1}\", Error: \"{2}\"",
                        ve.PropertyName,
                        value,
                        ve.ErrorMessage));
                }
            }
            sb.AppendLine();

            return sb.ToString();
        }
    }

    private static object GetComplexPropertyValue(DbPropertyValues propertyValues, string[] propertyChain)
    {
        var propertyName = propertyChain.First();
        return propertyChain.Count() == 1 
            ? propertyValues[propertyName] 
            : GetComplexPropertyValue((DbPropertyValues)propertyValues[propertyName], propertyChain.Skip(1).ToArray());
    }
}

Answer 3

Note that Entity.GetType().BaseType.Name gives the type name you specified, not the one with all the hex digits in its name.

Answer 4

In debug, you can enter this in your QuickWatch expression evaluator entry field:

context.GetValidationErrors()

Answer 5

just Check Your Database Table Field Length . Your Input Text Is Greater than the length of column field data type length

Answer 6

Just throwing my two cents in...

Within my dbConfiguration.cs, I like to wrap my context.SaveChanges() method into a try/catch and produce an output text file that allows me to read the Error(s) clearly, and this code also timestamps them - handy if you run into more than one error at different times!

        try
        {
            context.SaveChanges();
        }
        catch (DbEntityValidationException e)
        {
            //Create empty list to capture Validation error(s)
            var outputLines = new List<string>();

            foreach (var eve in e.EntityValidationErrors)
            {
                outputLines.Add(
                    $"{DateTime.Now}: Entity of type \"{eve.Entry.Entity.GetType().Name}\" in state \"{eve.Entry.State}\" has the following validation errors:");
                outputLines.AddRange(eve.ValidationErrors.Select(ve =>
                    $"- Property: \"{ve.PropertyName}\", Error: \"{ve.ErrorMessage}\""));
            }
            //Write to external file
            File.AppendAllLines(@"c:\temp\dbErrors.txt", outputLines);
            throw;
        }