Ef core store enum as string. 2 project. You can use an enum in your code and have a lookup table in your db by using a combination of these two EF Core features: Value Conversions - to convert the enum to int when reading/writing to db You could do the conversion in code in the entity and map the underlying string property using EF (you can make the property private and still map it) and leave the enum property unmapped (e. Instead, EF Core will pick the conversion to use based on the property type in the model and the requested database provider type. org/efcore/mapping/enum. You can use an enum in your code and have a lookup table in your db by using a combination of these two EF Core features: Value Conversions - to convert the enum to int when reading/writing to db EF Core 5 can accommodate the many-to-many relationship without having to define the SeriesGenre entity, where a Series simply has a collection of Genre, then configured with a HasMany(x => x. Value Using Enums as Strings in EF Core When working with Entity Framework Core (EF Core), one of the little decisions that can make a big impact is how you choose to store enums in your database. 33 Starting with Entity Framework Core 2. Almost always define a member with value 0 in your enums. As an example, I have the following enum and the entity that uses it: You could do the conversion in code in the entity and map the underlying string property using EF (you can make the property private and still map it) and leave the enum property unmapped (e. Genres). Key highlights include Complex Types for more expressive models, Unmapped Queries for running SQL without an ORM setup, Primitive Collections to store lists of primitives without extra tables, and support for `DateOnly` and `TimeOnly` types. Int64 with Edm. html?tabs=tabid-1 Even if your database enum is created, Npgsql has to know about it, and especially about your CLR enum type that should be mapped to it. Converts enum values to and from their string representation. net core 2. 1. An Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) framework for. This conversion can be from one value to another of the same type, for example encrypting strings or from a value of one type to a value of another type (enum to strings in database). 0 with the method HasConversion. Configuring the Value Conversion Here’s how you do it. NullReferenceException: 'Object reference not set to an instance of an How to store enum contained in a list of objects as string using EF Core 3. I posted article and related suggestion about this problem. With string mapping, the EF Core provider will save and load properties to database JSON columns, but will not do any further serialization or parsing - it's the developer's responsibility to handle the JSON contents, possibly using System. in the database; you simply need to provide one function which converts from the ModelClrType to the ProviderClrType, and another for the opposite conversion: Sep 1, 2025 · Learn how to store enums as strings in EF Core for improved database readability and maintainability. If you're just getting started with EF Core, those docs are the best place to start. In local development, SQLite can be used (by changing the connection string and EF Core provider) to simplify setup without requiring an external server. I need to store an enum in the database as string rather than integer. Store Enum and Enum? as string I'm looking for an easy way to set a global configuration in my DbContext to store as string any nullable or non-nullable Enumerations. I have several enums, that represent states, and all correspond to string fields on the EF model. Use Enum. The EF enum type definitions live in conceptual layer. I'm trying to set String-Enum value converter to all enum properties of all entities in my EF Core Code-First project. It was able to save the enum as a string to the database and when reading from the database it was able to take that string and populate the enum correctly. SQL Server), so the general EF Core docs apply here as well. Text. 9 EF Core 2. It behaves like other EF Core providers (e. 6 Asked 3 years, 4 months ago Modified 3 years, 4 months ago Viewed 302 times Learn how to store string values of enum fields in SQL using . Byte, Edm. NET type to a column, and the other way around. Why store enums as strings in the DB? For example, if we want to store an Enum value as a string in the database but read it back as an Enum type, Value Conversions can handle this automatically and seamlessly. Value Converters A Value Converter in EF Core is a component that transforms property values when reading from or writing to the database. ---This video is b Only the enum directly under User was converted correctly with HasConversation (), not the one in UserAuditStandards Could someone please guide me on how to correctly configure EF Core to serialize the Competence property as a string in Cosmos DB, both for the User entity and the AuditStandardUserInfo entity? Is it possible to use a list of enums in an project using EF Core to store the data? My enum: public enum AudienceType { Child, Teen, [Display(Name =&quot;Young Adult I recently learned how to convert enums to string at the database level in EF Core (using . Plus this also makes it easier to know what that enum This blog post delves into the latest updates in Entity Framework Core ORM (EF Core 8), emphasizing its new features and performance improvements. The separation between configuration and EF Core implementation makes the switch a single-line change in appsettings. [Solved]How can i retrieve gender as a string like "gender": "Male" in my jsonResult, I'am using EntityFramework Core 2. This is done by adding the following code, before any EF Core operations take place. 1 also allows you to map these to strings in the database with value converters. WithMany() relationship and the configuration of the SeriesGenre table & FKs. with [NotMapped]). . I've already tried with this: In this article, we are going to learn how to store JSON in an entity field with EF Core, and why we want to do that. g. 0: builder. An integer id matching the C# enum value, and a name with the string value. 182 I am trying to define an Enum and add valid common separators which used in CSV or similar files. EF Core I have an Enum similar to this: public enum Type { TypeA, TypeB, TypeC } I have this using Fluent API and Entity Framework 3. EF8 requires . Nov 2, 2023 · In this article, I have walked through how to store and retrieve enums as strings with Entity Framework Core. I’ve already tried with this: configurationBuilder. I started by looking at some of the considerations you should make before confirming your decision to store enums as strings in an Azure SQL or SQL Server database. Then I am going to bind it to a ComboBox as a data source so whenever I add or remove from the Enum definition, I would not need to change anything in the combo box. Use an enumeration type to represent a choice from a set of mutually exclusive values or a combination of choices. Before specifying the conversion, the types need to be convertable. npgsql. NET Applications | Get into the details and options to implement value objects using new Entity Framework features. Step-by-step guide on converting enum to string. This tutorial will teach you how to implement this functionality in a simple way. This is because I don't like having enum columns in database without meaningful value. EF Core 2. 2 with Asp. However, if the enum is the appropriate device in C# -- and you are certain that the C# code should drive any change, rather than the database -- my preferred approach is to store the underlying value type in the database (bigint, int, smallint, tinyint) and then constrain the column with the valid enum values. Using this method, two delegates can be assigned to convert the . Specifically for Enums, you can use the provided EnumToStringConverter or EnumToNumberConverter. For example, enum to string conversions are used as an example above, but EF Core will actually do this automatically when the provider type is configured as string using the generic type of HasConversion: Only the enum directly under User was converted correctly with HasConversation (), not the one in UserAuditStandards Could someone please guide me on how to correctly configure EF Core to serialize the Competence property as a string in Cosmos DB, both for the User entity and the AuditStandardUserInfo entity? While looking for a solution to store all our enums as strings in the database, i came up with the following code. So, let’s tell EF Core to store the enum as a string, making everything more human-readable. Also whatever you do it's a good idea to ensure that your C# enums have explicit values assigned so that you don't end up with an epic mess if/when someone decides that the enum should have a different order. Full source code here. Jan 12, 2026 · In Entity Framework Core (EF Core), Enum properties are saved as integers (int) by default. Simply define your properties just as if they were a simple type, such as a string: public class MyEntity { How to configure entity type inheritance using Entity Framework Core This is where value conversions come into play. NET 7) using the HasConversion method. 1+ supports Value Conversions. This is where value conversions come into play. NET called Entity Framework Core (EF Core) enables us to work with databases using. This means that you can use PostgreSQL-specific types, such as inet or circle, directly in your entities. Stored procedures are supported by EF Core, even [Solved]How can i retrieve gender as a string like "gender": "Male" in my jsonResult, I'am using EntityFramework Core 2. SByte, Edm. NET 8 RC1 SDK. I'am having trouble in enum, but in this exa Converting Values EF Core supports custom conversions from a . However, the Npgsql provider also allows you to map your CLR enums to database enum types. NET Core, and JSON. What is the best method of storing an Enum in a Database using C# And Visual Studio and MySQL Data Connector. NET Core and Entity Framework, as of 2021, lack native support for enum collection serialization. IsDefined to validate enum values when converting from numeric types. If … Using enums in C# with EF Core is extremely easy and note that the use of a T4 template is completely optional, without a T4 template simply create a regular enum. I'm connecting to an existing database and would like one of the columns to be converted to an Enum, so EnumToStringConverter<> seems to be right up my alley. The problem is how can I define enum with string representation, something like: Enum Type Mapping By default, any enum properties in your model will be mapped to database integers. NET 8. json. protected override void ConfigureConventions(ModelConfigurationBuilder builder) { I have seen here and here that you can use a lookup table or store the enum as string to circumvent this, but this seems a bit unnatural IMHO, considering that you could also just could store the enum in the database. NET objects. I've created a NuGet package, StrEnum, that allows to create string-based enums which are type safe, work similarly to native C# enums, and can be used with EF Core, ASP. Properties<Enum>(). So is there any way to store enums as enum datatype in the database? If no, why not? There are so many places it makes sense to use enums in my code base but because I scaffold instead of migrating it sounds like if I make entity changes the enums will just disappear and change to integers or strings instead of persisting. NET level - see the Npgsql ADO type mapping page. I am going to be creating a new project with over 100 Enums, and majority of them will I'm working on a side project where I use Entity Framework 6 for my data layer. Int32 being the default underlying type if none has been specified. How can I use enums in my project while still scaffolding every so often? The EF Core provider transparently maps the types supported by Npgsql at the ADO. You can use the built-in EnumToStringConverter<> to automatically convert an Enum to string, and vice versa. All enums values are chosen so they can be easily represented as chars, so they are set like this: I need a setting or option to store all the enums as string in database including the enum columns or enums inside the json columns (even if they are at root of the json or multi level in depth due to complexity of json) #33035 An integer id matching the C# enum value, and a name with the string value. Enum Entity Property in Entity Framework Core I like working with enums, but I found I haven't used them much lately because I was fuzzy on how to use them in conjunction with Entity Framework. Similarly to CLR enums the EF enums have underlying type which is one of Edm. How to save enums to database using entity framework core ? Hoe does value conversion works from EF core to database provider and vice-a-versa ? Learn how to store enums as strings in EF Core for improved database readability and maintainability. 1, EF supports Value Conversions to specifically address scenarios where a property needs to be mapped to a different type for storage. Int32 or Edm. EF can take care of the rest behind the scenes. I can do this manually like this: protected override void OnModelCreating( I've created a NuGet package, StrEnum, that allows to create string-based enums which are type safe, work similarly to native C# enums, and can be used with EF Core, ASP. Jul 5, 2023 · Conversions can be configured in OnModelCreating to store the enum values as strings such as "Donkey", "Mule", etc. However, you may want to save them as their “name (string)” to improve database readability or to integrate with existing databases that use string columns. The first release candidate of Entity Framework Core (EF Core) 8 is available on NuGet today! Basic information EF Core 8, or just EF8, is the successor to EF Core 7, and is scheduled for release in November 2023, at the same time as . 6 Check the entity framework article about postgres enums here: https://www. Be cautious when using numeric parameters that might be implicitly converted to enum types. NET Microservices Architecture for Containerized . A few years ago I wrote a post about saving enums to the database with Entity Framework. . Explore the pros, cons, and step-by-step implementation. HaveConversion<string>(); Unfortunately if the Enum is defined as Enum? the code above throws the following: System. Nov 29, 2025 · In this blog, we’ll walk through a step-by-step example of how to configure EF Core to save enums as strings in a C# model class, using practical code examples and best practices. NET type to a column since EF Core 5. Entity&lt;Element&g EF Core 8 introduces support for mapping typed arrays of simple values to database columns so the semantics of the mapping can be used in the SQL generated from LINQ queries. Int16, Edm. NET's Entity Framework Core. May 19, 2025 · Using Enums as Strings in EF Core When working with Entity Framework Core (EF Core), one of the little decisions that can make a big impact is how you choose to store enums in your database. Npgsql Entity Framework Core Provider Npgsql has an Entity Framework (EF) Core provider. Json to parse them. NET 8 and this RC1 release should be used with the . I'am having trouble in enum, but in this exa I'd like to know if there is an elegant solution to the problem of an existing database that stores enum values as ints, but wanting to transition to storing strings for new records, but leave the I’m looking for an easy way to set a global configuration in my DbContext to store as string any nullable or non-nullable Enumerations. Enum support in EF Core is quite extensive, in this article I’ll cover how to use an enum as a Primary Key, as well as storing the integer and string value of the enum in a column. yfxdcz, qfdi, dmxlup, u1mt, aelu6, vawm, 9clp, xup3er, ux6gz, efng9,