Namespace: RA.Utilities.Data.Entities

CoreEntity<TKey>

CoreEntity<TKey> is the root abstract class for all entities within the RA.Utilities.Data.Entities package. It implements the IEntity marker interface and defines the foundational contract for unique identity across your data model.

By making identity generic via TKey, this class allows entities to use whatever identifier type best fits the domain or database schema (such as Guid, int, long, or string), while still enforcing a consistent naming and property convention across the entire application.

Type Parameters

Parameter	Description
TKey	The data type of the entity's primary key identifier.

Properties

Property	Type	Accessors	Description
Id	TKey	get; protected set;	The unique identifier for the entity.

Protected Setter

The Id property uses a protected set; accessor. This protects the identifier from unintentional external mutation while allowing Entity Framework Core, object-relational mappers, and derived constructors to populate the key value.

Class Definition

namespace RA.Utilities.Data.Entities;

/// <summary>
/// Represents the base class for all entities, providing a unique identifier.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="TKey">The type of the unique identifier.</typeparam>
public abstract class CoreEntity<TKey> : IEntity
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Gets the unique identifier for the entity.
    /// </summary>
    public virtual TKey Id { get; protected set; }
}

Role in the Entity Hierarchy

CoreEntity<TKey> sits directly below the IEntity marker at the root of the inheritance chain:

IEntity (marker — no members)
└── CoreEntity<TKey>
    ├── BaseEntity<TKey>          (adds CreatedAt)
    └── WriteEntity<TKey>         (adds CreatedAt, LastModifiedAt)
        ├── SoftDeleteEntity<TKey> (adds IsDeleted)
        └── AuditableBaseEntity<TKey> (adds CreatedBy, LastModifiedBy)

Usage Example

using RA.Utilities.Data.Entities;

public class Country : CoreEntity<string>
{
    public Country(string isoCode, string name)
    {
        Id = isoCode; // e.g. "US", "DE"
        Name = name;
    }

    public string Name { get; set; }
}