Delete Records in Entity Framework Core

Last Updated: November 17, 2024

Entity Framework Core API executes the DELETE statement in the database for the entities whose EntityState is set as Deleted. The Remove() method of the DbContext is used for deleting records from the database.

This tutorial is a part of Entity Framework Core series.

Page Contents

Delete Single Record

Consider the following code where Entity Framework Core Deletes Record by id. We are deleting Department with Id ‘3’.

var dept = new Department()
{
    Id = 3
};

context.Remove(dept);
await context.SaveChangesAsync();

Once the Remove() method is called for the department entity, the EF marks the 3rd id’s EntityState as Deleted. So when the SaveChangesAsync() method is called the 3rd department record is deleted from the database.

Interesting EF Core tutorial: Configurations in Entity Framework Core

Delete Multiple Records

Use RemoveRange() method of DbContext to delete multiple entities on one go. The below codes remove 3 Department records with Id’s as – 1, 2 & 3 on one go.

List<Department> dept = new List<Department>()
{
    new Department() { Id=1 },
    new Department() { Id=2 },
    new Department() { Id=3 }
};

context.RemoveRange(dept);
await context.SaveChangesAsync();

If the key value specified in the Remove() or RemoveRange() method does not exist then EF Core will thrown exception of type DbUpdateConcurrencyException.

Cascade Delete

If an entity has relationship with other entities such as one-to-one or one-to-many then child entities may be affected when the parent entity is deleted. That is the child entities will be either deleted or their foreign key value is set to null. This is know as Cascade Delete behaviour in Entity Framework Core.

With the help of Fluent API of Entity Framework Core we can define the Cascade Delete behaviour by 4 main ways. These are:

Cascade : Related entities are also deleted when parent entity is deleted.
ClientSetNull : Here foreign key is set to null.
ClientCascade: Make this configuration only apply to tracked entities, not the database. That is EF Core will perform cascade delete for tracked entities. Use this option when you get Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlException (0x80131904) for cycles or multiple cascade paths.
Restrict : Prevents Cascade delete.
SetNull : The values of foreign key properties will be set to null.

Open the Database Context File of the application, there set the OnDelete() method to Cascade, ClientSetNull, Restrict, SetNull by using “DeleteBehavior” enum. Below we have maked it to Cascade.

protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
{
    modelBuilder.Entity<Employee>(entity =>
    {
        entity.HasOne(d => d.Department)
            .WithMany(p => p.Employee)
            .HasForeignKey(d => d.DepartmentId)
            .OnDelete(DeleteBehavior.Cascade)
            .HasConstraintName("FK_Employee_Department");
    });
}

Note that we have to re-run the migrations for this behaviour to apply.

Now when we delete a record in the Department table then all the related records in the Employee table are also deleted automatically. This is because Deparment is the parent entity and Employee is a child entity.

Check the below code where we are deleting the 5th department id. So all employees that are in the 5th department are also deleted automatically.

var dept = context.Department.Where(e => e.Id == 5).Include(e => e.Employee).FirstOrDefault();
context.Remove(dept);
await context.SaveChangesAsync();

Entity Framework Core CRUD Operations – DELETE RECORDS

It’s time we complete the CRUD OPERATIONS with the DELETE RECORDS feature. Recall, on the last tutorial Update Records in Entity Framework Core, we added the update records feature to it.

The delete records feature is created by adding a new Delete column on the table given on the Index view where all the entities are shown. The new delete column will contain a small form with a “delete” button. When the user will click this button, the form will submit and calls the Delete action method. The Entity Framework Core will delete the record on this Delete action method.

So start by adding the delete column on the Index.cshtml file for the Department controller, location is Views/Department.

@{
	ViewData["Title"] = "All Departments";
}
@model IEnumerable<Department>

<h1 class="bg-info text-white">All Departments</h1>
<a asp-action="Create" class="btn btn-secondary">Create</a>

<table class="table table-sm table-bordered">
	<tr>
		<th>ID</th>
		<th>Name</th>
		<th>Update</th>
		<th>Delete</th>
	</tr>
	@foreach (Department dept in Model)
	{
		<tr>
			<td>@dept.Id</td>
			<td>@dept.Name</td>
			<td>
                <a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary" asp-action="Update" asp-route-id="@dept.Id">
                    Update
                </a>
            </td>
			<td>
                <form asp-action="Delete" asp-route-id="@dept.Id" method="post">
                    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-danger">
                        Delete
                    </button>
                </form>
            </td>
		</tr>
	}
</table>

The delete column will look as shown below.

Next add the Delete action method to the DepartmentController.cs file as shown below.

using EFCoreExample.Models;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;

namespace EFCoreExample.Controllers
{
    public class DepartmentController : Controller
    {
        private CompanyContext context;
        public DepartmentController(CompanyContext cc)
        {
            context = cc;
        }

        [HttpPost]
        public async Task<IActionResult> Delete(int id)
        {
            var dept = new Department() { Id = id };
            context.Remove(dept);
            await context.SaveChangesAsync();

            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }
 
        //...

    }
}

Check this feature on the url – https://localhost:7018/Department.

We do the same thing for the Employee entity. So first add the Delete column to the Index.cshtml view of Employee Controller whose location is Views/Employee.

@{
	ViewData["Title"] = "All Employees";
}
@model IEnumerable<Employee>

<h1 class="bg-info text-white">All Employees</h1>
<a asp-action="Create" class="btn btn-secondary">Create</a>

<table class="table table-sm table-bordered">
	<tr>
		<th>ID</th>
		<th>Name</th>
		<th>Designation</th>
		<th>Department</th>
		<th>Update</th>
		<th>Delete</th>
	</tr>
	@foreach (Employee emp in Model)
	{
		<tr>
			<td>@emp.Id</td>
			<td>@emp.Name</td>
			<td>@emp.Designation</td>
			<td>@emp.Department.Name</td>
			<td>
                <a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary" asp-action="Update" asp-route-id="@emp.Id">
                    Update
                </a>
            </td>
			<td>
                <form asp-action="Delete" asp-route-id="@emp.Id" method="post">
                    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-danger">
                        Delete
                    </button>
                </form>
            </td>
		</tr>
	}
</table>

Next add the Delete action on the EmployeeController.cs file.

[HttpPost]
public async Task<IActionResult> Delete(int id)
{
    var emp = new Employee() { Id = id };
    context.Remove(emp);
    await context.SaveChangesAsync();

    return RedirectToAction("Index");
}

Run the app and go to – https://localhost:7018/Employee. Here we can see the delete button against every employee record. Click on any one to delete the employee.

You can get this CRUD feature on the app which is available for download.

DOWNLOAD

Conclusion

We learned how to delete records from EF Core. Both deletion of single and mulitple records covered. We also learned Cascade Delete topic and also completed the CRUD OPERATIONS app with the delete records feature.

Next tutorial: Conventions in Entity Framework Core