2.1.3 Property

  • Article

The declared properties of an EntityType element or ComplexType element are defined by using the Property element. EntityType and ComplexType can have Property elements. Property can be a scalar type or ComplexType. A declared property description consists of the declared property's name, type, and a set of facets, such as Nullable or Default. Facets describe further behavior of a given type; they are optional to define.

The following is an example of a Property element.

 <Property Name="ProductName" Type="String" Nullable="false" MaxLength="40">

The following rules apply to the Property element:

  • The Property MUST define the Name attribute.

  • The Property MUST have the Type defined.

  • The Property type is either a scalar type or a ComplexType that is in scope and that has a namespace qualified name or alias qualified name.

  • In CSDL 3.0, a Type attribute in the Property element can have the value "Collection". "Collection" represents a set of non-nullable scalar type instances or ComplexType instances. It can be expressed as an attribute (example 1) or by using child element syntax, see TypeRef (section 2.1.26) (example 2). TypeRef is only allowed if the Type attribute value is equal to "Collection".

    In example 1, Property uses a Type attribute.

     <Property Name="AlternateAddresses" Type="Collection(Model.Address)" />

    In example 2, Property uses child element syntax.

     <Property Name="AlternateAddresses" Type="Collection">
       <TypeRef Type="Model.Address" />
 </Property>

  • Property can define a Nullable facet. The default value is Nullable=true. In CSDL 1.0, CSDL 1.1, and CSDL 2.0, any Property that has a type of ComplexType also defines a Nullable attribute that is set to "false".

  • The following facets are optional to define on Property:

    • DefaultValue

    • MaxLength

    • FixedLength

    • Precision

    • Scale

    • Unicode

    • Collation

    • SRID

  • In CSDL 1.1, CSDL 1.2, CSDL 2.0, and CSDL 3.0, a Property element can define a CollectionKind attribute. The possible values are "None", "List", and "Bag".

  • Property can define ConcurrencyMode. The possible values are "None" and "Fixed". However, for an EntityType that has a corresponding EntitySet defined, any EntityType elements that are derived from the EntitySet MUST NOT define any new Property with ConcurrencyMode set to a value other than "None".

  • Property can contain any number of AnnotationAttribute attributes. The full names of the AnnotationAttribute attributes cannot collide.

  • A Property element can contain a maximum of one Documentation element.

  • Property can contain any number of AnnotationElement elements.

  • In CSDL 3.0, Property can contain any number of ValueAnnotation elements.

  • Child elements of Property are to appear in this sequence: Documentation, AnnotationElement.

Graphic representation in table format of the rules that apply to the Property element.

All child elements are to appear in the order indicated.

A dynamic property follows these rules:

  • If an instance of an OpenEntityType does not include a value for a dynamic property named N, the instance is treated as if it includes N with a value of "null".

  • A dynamic property of an OpenEntityType cannot have the same name as a declared property on the same OpenEntityType.