How to add missing foreign key/entity? Save BreezeJs with JObjects - angularjs

Question

This is database first using entity frameworks 6 and lazy loading.
I have the following class of device that is missing four foreign key ids:
public partial class Device {
public int SolutionId { get; set; }
public string SiteId { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public int SysId { get; set; }
public Nullable<int> SysType { get; set; }
public string SerialNumber { get; set; }
public Nullable<int> ParentId { get; set; }
public virtual DeviceModel DeviceModel { get; set; }
public virtual DeviceType DeviceType { get; set; }
public virtual SolutionApplication SolutionApplication { get; set; }
public virtual SolutionType SolutionType { get; set; }
}
Missing Keys/Ids that are not generated but automatically got mapped as virtual objects:
DeviceModelId, DeviceTypeId, SolutionApplicationId, and SolutionTypeId
I want to save a new device using breeze but it is looking for the device type. I tried adding the deviceTypeId before saving:
newDevice.deviceTypeId = 5;
But it still doesn't get read and does not get saved.
[Error] Save failed: Entities in 'PortalEntities.Devices' participate in the 'FK_Devices_DeviceTypes' relationship. 0 related 'DeviceType' were found. 1 'DeviceType' is expected.
This is how my save statement in my breeze controller:
[HttpPost]
public SaveResult SaveChanges(JObject saveBundle)
{
return _repository.SaveChanges(saveBundle);
}
I checked what actually is getting passed as it attempts to do a save. The save bundled contained the following entity. BUT the device type which is a required field is not there, hence the error that its missing.
"entities": [
{
"SolutionId": -1,
"SiteId": "11111d2",
"Name": "asdf",
"SysId": 0,
"SysType": null,
"SerialNumber": null,
"ParentId": null,
"entityAspect": {
"entityTypeName": "Device:#HtPortal.Data.Portal",
"defaultResourceName": "Devices",
"entityState": "Added",
"originalValuesMap": {},
"autoGeneratedKey": {
"propertyName": "SolutionId",
"autoGeneratedKeyType": "Identity"
}
}
}
Since the deviceTypeId did not work, so I tried adding the deviceType right before saving:
newDevice.deviceType = { id:5, name: 'Blue'}; //NOTE: This already exists in the devicetype table in the database
But I get the following error:
TypeError: Cannot read property 'entityState' of undefined
Using Breeze, How do I add this foreign entity so that I can save this new device?
Edit 1: This is my DeviceType Class:
public partial class DeviceType {
public DeviceType() {
this.Devices = new HashSet<Device>();
}
public byte Id { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public virtual ICollection<Device> Devices { get; set; }
}

Answer 1

Just add the existing DeviceType object from your dbContext.
Something like:
using (YourDbEntities context = new YourDbEntities())
{
Device newDevice = new Device();
//whatever initialisation you need do....
newDevice.DeviceType = context.DeviceTypes.Find(5)
// the above line assumes that id is PK for DeviceType and you want the entry
// with id==5 - if not, other ways such as DeviceTypes.Where(d=>d.Id==5).First()
// to find the object in your existing db will work too!
context.Devices.Add(newDevice);
context.SaveChanges();
}