Change EdmModel at runtime for the same route

[reneduesmann]

Hey,

Versions that i use:
Microsoft.AspNetCore.OData Version: 9.3.2
.NET 9 Version

I´m coming from the dynamics 365 crm universe and build at the moment my own crm.
I like the functionality of the dynamics 365 crm that i can CRUD tables/columns and relationships.
At the moment i get all entites from my DbContext and add those to the ODataConventionModelBuilder.
Here is the code for it:

static ODataConventionModelBuilder GetODataConventionModelBuilder()
{
    ODataConventionModelBuilder oDataConventionModelBuilder = new();
    Type contextType = typeof(ApplicationDbContext);

    IEnumerable<PropertyInfo> dbSetProperties = contextType
        .GetProperties(BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance)
        .Where(x => x.PropertyType.IsGenericType && x.PropertyType.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(DbSet<>));

    foreach (PropertyInfo dbSetProperty in dbSetProperties)
    {
        Type entityType = dbSetProperty.PropertyType.GetGenericArguments()[0];
        string setName = dbSetProperty.Name;

        EntityTypeConfiguration entityTypeConfig = oDataConventionModelBuilder.AddEntityType(entityType);

        PropertyInfo idProperty = GetPrimaryKeyFromEntity(entityType);

        if(idProperty is not null)
        {
            entityTypeConfig.HasKey(idProperty);
        }

        oDataConventionModelBuilder.AddEntitySet(setName, entityTypeConfig);
    }

    return oDataConventionModelBuilder;
}

This works well, but as i said, users can modify the database from the ui and i want to show these changes in the odata endpoint as well.
And for my understanding i need to modify the current EdmModel for my static odata route (the route and version shouldn't change, the url should be always the same).
As an example the user creates a table "Book", the model/odata should display the table too after creating it.
The informations about the new tables, columns and so on are stored in different tables.
In theory i would retrieve the informations about the changes and create a new EdmComplexType like in this documentation.

This is my program.cs file:

WebApplicationBuilder builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

ODataConventionModelBuilder oDataConventionModelBuilder = GetODataConventionModelBuilder();

Dictionary<Type, string> entitySetNames = oDataConventionModelBuilder
    .EntitySets
    .ToDictionary(es => es.EntityType.ClrType, es => es.Name);

builder.Services
    .AddControllers()
    .ConfigureApplicationPartManager(apm =>
    {
        apm.FeatureProviders.Add(new DynamicODataControllerFeatureProvider(entitySetNames));
    })
    .AddOData(options =>
    {
        options.EnableQueryFeatures();
        options.AddRouteComponents("api", oDataConventionModelBuilder.GetEdmModel());
    });

builder.Services.AddLogging(configuration =>
{
    configuration.AddConsole();
});

WebApplication app = builder.Build();

app.UseHttpsRedirection();

app.UseRouting();

app.UseODataRouteDebug();

app.UseAuthorization();

app.MapControllers();

app.Run();

But what are the next steps?
I don't find anything to that topic (only #1351 but it didn't helped me out)

[xuzhg]

@reneduesmann Did you get a chance to see whether 'https://github.com/OData/AspNetCoreOData/tree/main/sample/ODataDynamicModel' meets for your requirement?

Actually, I'd like to learn more details about your requirements? So, as you mentioned, a user creates a table 'Book', does it mean you have the functionalities to enable your customers to create new types? then you want to show the new types in the OData CSDL schema since you mentioned 'the model/odata should display the table too after creating it"? Or you also want to return the real book data back to your customers?

[reneduesmann]

@xuzhg
Thanks for ur reply.
I downloaded the sample already and tested it. It fits the requirement a little bit, but in this example you have different routes.
Like /odata/mydatasource and /odata/anotherdatasource. My goal is that i only have one route like "odata/{entitySet}

What i exactly mean is, i have a set of predefined entities like Account, Contact and Opportunity.
And i will have endpoints, where admins can customize the database.

• Create new columns for Account
• Create a new entity "Lead" as example
  and so on.
  And all changes that are made are persisted in the database in various tables (the metadata).
  The created entity is at the end a seperate table in the database with their own records.
  And these changes should also be shown in the odata endpoint.
  When the admin creates through the UI the Lead entity, the entity should be displayed too at the /odata/ endpoint as the account, contact and opportunity. And all on the same route. That i can access the lead entity under /odata/leads.

This behavior and functionality is exact the same as from dynamics 365 crm (Power Platform).