Allow keys and indexes to use properties on non-collection complex types

Split off from #13947

Depends on #31236

Related to #11336

This issue is in the Backlog milestone. This means that it is not planned for the next release (EF Core 9.0). We will re-assess the backlog following the this release and consider this item at that time. However, keep in mind that there are many other high priority features with which it will be competing for resources. Make sure to vote (👍) for this issue if it is important to you.

Hello! This feature is really important for us.

This would be really useful. Complex Types are needed for hiding functionality and managing the relationship of fields in the database.

For example say I have labels in my data, and some but not all of these labels have related data. I would like to use a complex type to manage the interaction of the text label vs the referenced data. If I cannot index the text label then it is impossible to perform the required operations.

In my particular situation I don’t need a composite key, just a key on one property within the complex type.

This has just become an issue for us, and I'm not sure how to proceed. Our database team has asked us to add some indexes in order to improve performance, and the list of indexes they've requested includes some complex type properties (as included columns).

For example (simplified for illustration):

CREATE INDEX requested_index_1 ON [Companies] ([OwnerId]) INCLUDE ([OwnerAddress_City])

Since OwnerAddress is an Address value object, I have no way of adding this index in the DbContext, right? I would need something like this, which doesn't work:

builder.Entity<Company>().HasIndex(e => new { e.OwnerId }, "requested_index_1")
    .IncludeProperties("OwnerAddress_Street");

If the indexes are just applied on the database side, will that affect future EF Migrations? What if I skip the DbContext, but manually add these to a Migration using .CreateIndex()?

What if I skip the DbContext, but manually add these to a Migration using .CreateIndex()?

That would be the suggested workaround. You'll just need to remember to drop the index if one of the columns is dropped.

That would be the suggested workaround. You'll just need to remember to drop the index if one of the columns is dropped.

That's what I'll do then. Thanks! I appreciate the quick reply.

Support keys and indexes that traverse complex-type properties

Support keys and indexes that traverse complex-type properties (#38192)

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Allow keys and indexes to use properties on non-collection complex types #31246

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Allow keys and indexes to use properties on non-collection complex types #31246

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