Can't create resource with relationship in Entity-Resource separation mode

[milosloub]

Consider following:

Entities:

    public class Client : Identifiable
    {
        public string FirstName { get; set; }
        public string LastName { get; set; }
        public Parent Parent { get; set; }
        public int ParentId { get; set }
    }

    public class Parent: Identifiable
    {
        public string FirstName { get; set; }
        public string LastName { get; set; }
    }

Resources:

    public class ClientResource : Identifiable
    {
        [Attr]
        public string FirstName { get; set; }
        [Attr]
        public string LastName { get; set; }
        [HasOne]
        public ParentResource Parent { get; set; }
    }

    public class ParentResource: Identifiable
    {
        [Attr]
        public string FirstName { get; set; }
        [Attr]
        public string LastName { get; set; }
    }

Three Layer flow (with Automapper Profile)
1) Controller - JsonApiController<ClientResource>
2) Service - EntityResourceService<ClientResource, Client, int>
3) Repository - DefaultEntityRepository<Client>

If I POST request like this:

{
    "data": {
        "attributes": {
            "first-name": "Homer",
            "last-name": "Simpson"
        },
        "relationships": {
            "parent": {
                "data": {
                    "type": "parents",
                    "id": "1"
                }
            }
        },
        "type": "clients"
    }
}

the InvalidOperationException is thrown, because:
"The entity type 'ParentResource' was not found. Ensure that the entity type has been added to the model."
This exception points to line 234 of DefaultEntityRepository and it's AttachHasOnePointers method.

Do you have any idea, how to handle this? Does this mean, that Repository should be responsible for proper resolve of navigation property type?

[roblankey]

Hm. I would expect that to work just from looking at it quickly. The Course/Department example is very similar. There is no test for this specific scenario though, so let me add one and check it out.

[roblankey]

Quick update. I do indeed get the same error when attempting to add the relationship like this. As a workaround, you can update the relationship after creation (e.g. RelationshipModifyTests)

[milosloub]

@roblankey Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I can't do this as a workaround - several clients are connected to API using about 40 controllers, so I have to keep unseparated flow. Every other operations like inclusion, filter, sort etc. works with no problems. All my acceptance tests fails only in this one use-case. If I'm thinking about solution, it's quite hell of pain :(

[roblankey]

Ok. Makes sense. Let me see what I can do.

[roblankey]

see #446
adds a withEntity property to the HasOne attribute that you would simply specify your entity property name within, similar to java's mappedBy

[milosloub]

Cool! As @jaredcnance said, the same problem should be also with HasMany (I didnt't try, because we don't have this use-case...for now).
Thanks for this, it looks good!