How to create a custom entity

[JornWildt]

Sorry, but I'm lost in the documentation. I can find examples of defining custom entities and querying custom entities and it works for me - I can create bookings in the admin interface and list them in a separate page.

I can also finde examples of commands that create custom data (not custom entities) like CatLike in the SPA example - but how do I add an instance of a custom entity to the database programmatically? Could you please clarify that in the docs?

I have a booking data model:

public class BookingDataModel : ICustomEntityDataModel
{
  public DateTime? ArrivalDate { get; set; }

  ... more properties ...
}

I also have a web-form for submitting a booking request. I can also make a command as well as a command handler. But what should I do in the command handler?

public class AddBookingCommandHandler : ICommandHandler<AddBookingCommand>
{
  private readonly CofoundryDbContext _dbContext;

  public AddBookingCommandHandler(CofoundryDbContext dbContext)
  {
    _dbContext = dbContext;
  }

  public async Task ExecuteAsync(AddBookingCommand command, IExecutionContext executionContext)
  {
    var booking = new BookingDataModel();

    // populate booking data model with input from command

    // *** THIS IS WRONG ***
    // Booking data model implements ICustomEntityDataModel - but it is not a CustomEntity in itself.
    await _dbContext.CustomEntities.AddAsync(booking);

    // SO ... how to add the booking data model?

    await _dbContext.SaveChangesAsync();
  }
}

[JornWildt]

Nothing like writing down your issue that makes you figure out your problems all by yourself.

I realized that I needed to issue an AddCustomEntityCommand and then I had a place to pass my BookingDataModel (ICustomEntity):

  var myBooking = new BookingDataModel { ... }

  using (var scope = ContentRepository.Transactions().CreateScope())
  {
    var addCustomEntityCommand = new AddCustomEntityCommand
    {
      CustomEntityDefinitionCode = BookingCustomEntityDefinition.DefinitionCode,
      Model = myBooking,
      UrlSlug = "Booking",
      Title = "Booking" + request.Booking.ArrivalDate?.ToString("d"),
      Publish = true,
      PublishDate = DateTime.Now
    };

    await ContentRepository.ExecuteCommandAsync(addCustomEntityCommand);
    await scope.CompleteAsync();
  }

[JornWildt]

May I suggest that you add that knowledge to the online documentation?