As mentioned in previous section, to build Edm model explicitly is to create an IEdmModel object directly using ODatalib API. The Edm model built by this method is called type-less model, or week type model, or just un-typed model.

Let’s see how to build the Customer-Order business model.

Enum Type

We can use EdmEnumType to define an Enum type Color as:

EdmEnumType color = new EdmEnumType("WebApiDocNS", "Color");
color.AddMember(new EdmEnumMember(color, "Red", new EdmIntegerConstant(0)));
color.AddMember(new EdmEnumMember(color, "Blue", new EdmIntegerConstant(1)));
color.AddMember(new EdmEnumMember(color, "Green", new EdmIntegerConstant(2)));
model.AddElement(color);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<EnumType Name="Color">
   <Member Name="Red" Value="0" />
   <Member Name="Blue" Value="1" />
   <Member Name="Green" Value="2" />
</EnumType>

Complex Type

Basic Complex Type

We can use EdmComplexType to define a complex type Address as:

EdmComplexType address = new EdmComplexType("WebApiDocNS", "Address");
address.AddStructuralProperty("Country", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String);
address.AddStructuralProperty("City", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String);
model.AddElement(address);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<ComplexType Name="Address">
  <Property Name="Country" Type="Edm.String" />
  <Property Name="City" Type="Edm.String" />
</ComplexType>

Derived Complex type

We can set the base type in construct to define a derived complex type SubAddress as:

EdmComplexType subAddress = new EdmComplexType("WebApiDocNS", "SubAddress", address);
subAddress.AddStructuralProperty("Street", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String);
model.AddElement(subAddress);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<ComplexType Name="SubAddress" BaseType="WebApiDocNS.Address">
  <Property Name="Street" Type="Edm.String" />
</ComplexType>

Other Complex Types

We can call the following construct to set a complex type whether it is abstract or open.

public EdmComplexType(string namespaceName, string name, IEdmComplexType baseType, bool isAbstract, bool isOpen);

For example:

EdmComplexType address = new EdmComplexType("WebApiDocNS", "Address", baseType: null, isAbstract: true, isOpen: true);
model.AddElement(address);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<ComplexType Name="Address" Abstract="true" OpenType="true" />

Entity Type

Basic Entity Type

We can use EdmEntityType to define two entity types Customer & Order as:

EdmEntityType customer = new EdmEntityType("WebApiDocNS", "Customer");
customer.AddKeys(customer.AddStructuralProperty("CustomerId", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Int32));
customer.AddStructuralProperty("Location", new EdmComplexTypeReference(address, isNullable: true));
model.AddElement(customer);

EdmEntityType order = new EdmEntityType("WebApiDocNS", "Order");
order.AddKeys(order.AddStructuralProperty("OrderId", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Int32));
order.AddStructuralProperty("Token", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Guid);
model.AddElement(order);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<EntityType Name="Customer">
  <Key>
    <PropertyRef Name="CustomerId" />
  </Key>
  <Property Name="CustomerId" Type="Edm.Int32" />
  <Property Name="Location" Type="WebApiDocNS.Address" />
</EntityType>
<EntityType Name="Order">
  <Key>
    <PropertyRef Name="OrderId" />
  </Key>
  <Property Name="OrderId" Type="Edm.Int32" />
  <Property Name="Token" Type="Edm.Guid" />
</EntityType>

Derived Entity type

We can set the base type in construct to define a derived entity type VipCustomer as:

EdmEntityType vipCustomer = new EdmEntityType("WebApiDocNS", "VipCustomer", customer);
vipCustomer.AddStructuralProperty("FavoriteColor", new EdmEnumTypeReference(color, isNullable: false));
model.AddElement(vipCustomer);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<EntityType Name="VipCustomer" BaseType="WebApiDocNS.Customer">
    <Property Name="FavoriteColor" Type="WebApiDocNS.Color" Nullable="false" />
</EntityType>

Other Entity Types

We can call the following construct to set an entity type whether it is abstract or open.

public EdmEntityType(string namespaceName, string name, IEdmEntityType baseType, bool isAbstract, bool isOpen);

For example:

EdmEntityType customer = new EdmEntityType("WebApiDocNS", "Customer", baseType: null, isAbstract: true, isOpen: true);
model.AddElement(customer);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<EntityType Name="Customer" Abstract="true" OpenType="true" />

Default Entity Container

Each model MUST define at most one entity container, in which entity sets, singletons and operation imports are defined. For example:

EdmEntityContainer container = new EdmEntityContainer("WebApiDocNS", "Container");
EdmEntitySet customers = container.AddEntitySet("Customers", customer);
EdmEntitySet orders = container.AddEntitySet("Orders", order);
model.AddElement(container);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<EntityContainer Name="Container">
   <EntitySet Name="Customers" EntityType="WebApiDocNS.Customer" />
   <EntitySet Name="Orders" EntityType="WebApiDocNS.Order" />
</EntityContainer>

Singleton

We can also add singleton into entity container. For example:

EdmSingleton mary = container.AddSingleton("Mary", customer);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<Singleton Name="Mary" Type="WebApiDocNS.Customer" />

Now, we can add navigation property to Customer. For example:

EdmNavigationProperty ordersNavProp = customer.AddUnidirectionalNavigation(
    new EdmNavigationPropertyInfo
    {
        Name = "Orders",
        TargetMultiplicity = EdmMultiplicity.Many,
        Target = order
    });
customers.AddNavigationTarget(ordersNavProp, orders);

It will generate the below metadata document:

First, it will add a new item in the entity type as:

<EntityType Name="Customer">
    ...
    <NavigationProperty Name="Orders" Type="Collection(WebApiDocNS.Order)" />
</EntityType>

Second, it will add a new item in the entity container for Customers entity set as:

<EntitySet Name="Customers" EntityType="WebApiDocNS.Customer">
  <NavigationPropertyBinding Path="Orders" Target="Orders" />
</EntitySet>

Function

Let’s define two functions. One is bound, the other is unbound as:

IEdmTypeReference stringType = EdmCoreModel.Instance.GetPrimitive(EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String, isNullable: false);
IEdmTypeReference intType = EdmCoreModel.Instance.GetPrimitive(EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Int32, isNullable: false);
// Bound
EdmFunction getFirstName = new EdmFunction("WebApiDocNS", "GetFirstName", stringType, isBound: true, entitySetPathExpression: null, isComposable: false);
getFirstName.AddParameter("entity", new EdmEntityTypeReference(customer, false));
model.AddElement(getFirstName);

// Unbound
EdmFunction getNumber = new EdmFunction("WebApiDocNS", "GetOrderCount", intType, isBound: false, entitySetPathExpression: null, isComposable: false);
model.AddElement(getNumber);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<Function Name="GetFirstName" IsBound="true">
   <Parameter Name="entity" Type="WebApiDocNS.Customer" Nullable="false" />
   <ReturnType Type="Edm.String" Nullable="false" />
</Function>
<Function Name="GetOrderCount">
   <ReturnType Type="Edm.Int32" Nullable="false" />
</Function>

Action

Let’s define two actions. One is bound, the other is unbound as:

// Bound
EdmAction calculate = new EdmAction("WebApiDocNS", "CalculateOrderPrice", returnType: null, isBound: true, entitySetPathExpression: null);
calculate.AddParameter("entity", new EdmEntityTypeReference(customer, false));
model.AddElement(calculate);

// Unbound
EdmAction change = new EdmAction("WebApiDocNS", "ChangeCustomerById", returnType: null, isBound: false, entitySetPathExpression: null);
change.AddParameter("Id", intType);
model.AddElement(change);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<Action Name="CalculateOrderPrice" IsBound="true">
  <Parameter Name="entity" Type="WebApiDocNS.Customer" Nullable="false" />
</Action>
<Action Name="ChangeCustomerById">
  <Parameter Name="Id" Type="Edm.Int32" Nullable="false" />
</Action>

Function Import

Unbound function can be called through function import. The following codes are used to build a function import:

container.AddFunctionImport("GetOrderCount", getNumber);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<FunctionImport Name="GetOrderCount" Function="WebApiDocNS.GetOrderCount" />

Action Import

Unbound actioin can be called through action import. The following codes are used to build an action import:

container.AddActionImport("ChangeCustomerById", change);

It will generate the below metadata document:

<ActionImport Name="ChangeCustomerById" Action="WebApiDocNS.ChangeCustomerById" />

Summary

Let’s put all codes together:

public static IEdmModel GetEdmModel()
{
    EdmModel model = new EdmModel();

    // Complex Type
    EdmComplexType address = new EdmComplexType("WebApiDocNS", "Address");
    address.AddStructuralProperty("Country", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String);
    address.AddStructuralProperty("City", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String);
    model.AddElement(address);

    EdmComplexType subAddress = new EdmComplexType("WebApiDocNS", "SubAddress", address);
    subAddress.AddStructuralProperty("Street", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String);
    model.AddElement(subAddress);

    // Enum type
    EdmEnumType color = new EdmEnumType("WebApiDocNS", "Color");
    color.AddMember(new EdmEnumMember(color, "Red", new EdmIntegerConstant(0)));
    color.AddMember(new EdmEnumMember(color, "Blue", new EdmIntegerConstant(1)));
    color.AddMember(new EdmEnumMember(color, "Green", new EdmIntegerConstant(2)));
    model.AddElement(color);

    // Entity type
    EdmEntityType customer = new EdmEntityType("WebApiDocNS", "Customer");
    customer.AddKeys(customer.AddStructuralProperty("CustomerId", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Int32));
    customer.AddStructuralProperty("Location", new EdmComplexTypeReference(address, isNullable: true));
    model.AddElement(customer);

    EdmEntityType vipCustomer = new EdmEntityType("WebApiDocNS", "VipCustomer", customer);
    vipCustomer.AddStructuralProperty("FavoriteColor", new EdmEnumTypeReference(color, isNullable: false));
    model.AddElement(vipCustomer);

    EdmEntityType order = new EdmEntityType("WebApiDocNS", "Order");
    order.AddKeys(order.AddStructuralProperty("OrderId", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Int32));
    order.AddStructuralProperty("Token", EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Guid);
    model.AddElement(order);

    EdmEntityContainer container = new EdmEntityContainer("WebApiDocNS", "Container");
    EdmEntitySet customers = container.AddEntitySet("Customers", customer);
    EdmEntitySet orders = container.AddEntitySet("Orders", order);
    model.AddElement(container);

    // EdmSingleton mary = container.AddSingleton("Mary", customer);

    // navigation properties
    EdmNavigationProperty ordersNavProp = customer.AddUnidirectionalNavigation(
        new EdmNavigationPropertyInfo
        {
            Name = "Orders",
            TargetMultiplicity = EdmMultiplicity.Many,
            Target = order
        });
    customers.AddNavigationTarget(ordersNavProp, orders);
	
    // function
    IEdmTypeReference stringType = EdmCoreModel.Instance.GetPrimitive(EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.String, isNullable: false);
    IEdmTypeReference intType = EdmCoreModel.Instance.GetPrimitive(EdmPrimitiveTypeKind.Int32, isNullable: false);

    EdmFunction getFirstName = new EdmFunction("WebApiDocNS", "GetFirstName", stringType, isBound: true, entitySetPathExpression: null, isComposable: false);
    getFirstName.AddParameter("entity", new EdmEntityTypeReference(customer, false));
    model.AddElement(getFirstName);

    EdmFunction getNumber = new EdmFunction("WebApiDocNS", "GetOrderCount", intType, isBound: false, entitySetPathExpression: null, isComposable: false);
    model.AddElement(getNumber);
    container.AddFunctionImport("GetOrderCount", getNumber);

    // action
    EdmAction calculate = new EdmAction("WebApiDocNS", "CalculateOrderPrice", returnType: null, isBound: true, entitySetPathExpression: null);
    calculate.AddParameter("entity", new EdmEntityTypeReference(customer, false));
    model.AddElement(calculate);

    EdmAction change = new EdmAction("WebApiDocNS", "ChangeCustomerById", returnType: null, isBound: false, entitySetPathExpression: null);
    change.AddParameter("Id", intType);
    model.AddElement(change);
    container.AddActionImport("ChangeCustomerById", change);

    return model;
}

And the final XML will be:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<edmx:Edmx Version="4.0" xmlns:edmx="http://docs.oasis-open.org/odata/ns/edmx">
  <edmx:DataServices>
    <Schema Namespace="WebApiDocNS" xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/odata/ns/edm">
      <ComplexType Name="Address">
        <Property Name="Country" Type="Edm.String" />
        <Property Name="City" Type="Edm.String" />
      </ComplexType>
      <ComplexType Name="SubAddress" BaseType="WebApiDocNS.Address">
        <Property Name="Street" Type="Edm.String" />
      </ComplexType>
      <EnumType Name="Color">
        <Member Name="Red" Value="0" />
        <Member Name="Blue" Value="1" />
        <Member Name="Green" Value="2" />
      </EnumType>
      <EntityType Name="Customer">
        <Key>
          <PropertyRef Name="CustomerId" />
        </Key>
        <Property Name="CustomerId" Type="Edm.Int32" />
        <Property Name="Location" Type="WebApiDocNS.Address" />
        <NavigationProperty Name="Orders" Type="Collection(WebApiDocNS.Order)" />
      </EntityType>
      <EntityType Name="VipCustomer" BaseType="WebApiDocNS.Customer">
        <Property Name="FavoriteColor" Type="WebApiDocNS.Color" Nullable="false" />
      </EntityType>
      <EntityType Name="Order">
        <Key>
          <PropertyRef Name="OrderId" />
        </Key>
        <Property Name="OrderId" Type="Edm.Int32" />
        <Property Name="Token" Type="Edm.Guid" />
      </EntityType>
      <Function Name="GetFirstName" IsBound="true">
        <Parameter Name="entity" Type="WebApiDocNS.Customer" Nullable="false" />
        <ReturnType Type="Edm.String" Nullable="false" />
      </Function>
      <Function Name="GetOrderCount">
        <ReturnType Type="Edm.Int32" Nullable="false" />
      </Function>
      <Action Name="CalculateOrderPrice" IsBound="true">
        <Parameter Name="entity" Type="WebApiDocNS.Customer" Nullable="false" />
      </Action>
      <Action Name="ChangeCustomerById">
        <Parameter Name="Id" Type="Edm.Int32" Nullable="false" />
      </Action>
      <EntityContainer Name="Container">
        <EntitySet Name="Customers" EntityType="WebApiDocNS.Customer">
          <NavigationPropertyBinding Path="Orders" Target="Orders" />
        </EntitySet>
        <EntitySet Name="Orders" EntityType="WebApiDocNS.Order" />
        <FunctionImport Name="GetOrderCount" Function="WebApiDocNS.GetOrderCount" />
        <ActionImport Name="ChangeCustomerById" Action="WebApiDocNS.ChangeCustomerById" />
      </EntityContainer>
    </Schema>
  </edmx:DataServices>
</edmx:Edmx>