normalize a collection of objects in csharp

To normalize a collection of objects in C#, we need to follow the principles of database normalization. The goal of normalization is to eliminate redundancy and ensure data consistency.

There are different levels of normalization, from first normal form (1NF) to fifth normal form (5NF). We need to analyze the collection of objects and identify any redundant information that can be separated into different tables or entities.

For example, if we have a collection of Employee objects, each with a Department property containing a string value, we could create a separate Department table and link each Employee to its corresponding Department using a foreign key.

Here is some sample code to illustrate the concept:

main.cs
public class Employee
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int DepartmentId { get; set; }
}

public class Department
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

public class CompanyContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Employee> Employees { get; set; }
    public DbSet<Department> Departments { get; set; }

    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        // Configure the relationship between Employee and Department
        modelBuilder.Entity<Employee>()
                    .HasOne(e => e.Department)
                    .WithMany(d => d.Employees)
                    .HasForeignKey(e => e.DepartmentId);
    }
}
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In this example, we define two entity classes for Employee and Department, with a foreign key relationship between them. We also configure the relationship in the DbContext using the OnModelCreating method.

By normalizing our collection of objects, we can improve data consistency and reduce redundancy, making it easier to manage and query our data.