composite key as foreign key

I am using Entity framework 4.1 in MVC 3 application. I have an entity where I have primary key consists of two columns ( composite key). And this is being used in another entity as foreign key. How to create the relationship ? In normal scnerios we use :

public class Category
{
    public string CategoryId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }

    public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}

public class Product
{
    public int ProductId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string CategoryId { get; set; }

    public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
} 

but what if category has two columns key ?

You can use either fluent API:

public class Category
{
    public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
    public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }

    public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}

public class Product
{
    public int ProductId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
    public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }

    public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}

public class Context : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Category> Categories { get; set; }
    public DbSet<Product> Products { get; set; }

    protected override void OnModelCreating(DbModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        base.OnModelCreating(modelBuilder);

        modelBuilder.Entity<Category>()
            .HasKey(c => new {c.CategoryId1, c.CategoryId2});

        modelBuilder.Entity<Product>()
            .HasRequired(p => p.Category)
            .WithMany(c => c.Products)
            .HasForeignKey(p => new {p.CategoryId1, p.CategoryId2});

    }
}

Or data annotations:

public class Category
{
    [Key, Column(Order = 0)]
    public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
    [Key, Column(Order = 1)]
    public int CategoryId3 { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }

    public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}

public class Product
{
    [Key]
    public int ProductId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    [ForeignKey("Category"), Column(Order = 0)]
    public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
    [ForeignKey("Category"), Column(Order = 1)]
    public int CategoryId3 { get; set; }

    public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}

I believe the easiest way is to use Data Annotation on the Navigation property like this: [ForeignKey("CategoryId1, CategoryId2")]

public class Category
{
    [Key, Column(Order = 0)]
    public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
    [Key, Column(Order = 1)]
    public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }

    public virtual ICollection<Product> Products { get; set; }
}

public class Product
{
    [Key]
    public int ProductId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int CategoryId1 { get; set; }
    public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("CategoryId1, CategoryId2")]
    public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}

In .NET Core and .NET 5 < the documentation only shows Data annotations (simple key).

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/modeling/relationships?tabs=fluent-api%2Cfluent-api-composite-key%2Csimple-key#foreign-key

However using the example from @LadislavMrnka you will get a error message like this:

> System.InvalidOperationException: There are multiple properties with > the [ForeignKey] attribute pointing to navigation ''. To define a > composite foreign key using data annotations, use the [ForeignKey] > attribute on the navigation.

Using that error message you can write the code like this:

public class Product
{
    [Key]
    public int ProductId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }

    public int CategoryId2 { get; set; }

    public int CategoryId3 { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("CategoryId2,CategoryId3")]
    public virtual Category Category { get; set; }
}

Fluent API (composite key) example from Microsoft:

internal class MyContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Car> Cars { get; set; }

    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        modelBuilder.Entity<Car>()
            .HasKey(c => new { c.State, c.LicensePlate });

        modelBuilder.Entity<RecordOfSale>()
            .HasOne(s => s.Car)
            .WithMany(c => c.SaleHistory)
            .HasForeignKey(s => new { s.CarState, s.CarLicensePlate });
    }
}

public class Car
{
    public string State { get; set; }
    public string LicensePlate { get; set; }
    public string Make { get; set; }
    public string Model { get; set; }

    public List<RecordOfSale> SaleHistory { get; set; }
}

public class RecordOfSale
{
    public int RecordOfSaleId { get; set; }
    public DateTime DateSold { get; set; }
    public decimal Price { get; set; }

    public string CarState { get; set; }
    public string CarLicensePlate { get; set; }
    public Car Car { get; set; }
}