public async Task<IHttpActionResult> PutParent(int id, Parent parent)
        {
            if (!ModelState.IsValid)
            {
                return BadRequest(ModelState);
            }

            if (id != parent.Id)
            {
                return BadRequest();
            }

            db.Entry(parent).State = EntityState.Modified;

            foreach (Child child in parent.Children)
            {
                db.Entry(child).State = child.Id == 0 ? EntityState.Added : EntityState.Modified;
            }

            try
            {
                await db.SaveChangesAsync();
            }
            catch (DbUpdateConcurrencyException)
            {
                if (!ParentExists(id))
                {
                    return NotFound();
                }
                else
                {
                    throw;
                }
            }

            return Ok(db.Parents.Find(id));
        }

这就是我解决这个问题的方法。通过这种方式，EF知道要添加哪些来更新哪些。

如果你正在使用EntityFrameworkCore，你可以在你的控制器post动作中做以下事情(Attach方法递归地附加导航属性，包括集合):

_context.Attach(modelPostedToController);

IEnumerable<EntityEntry> unchangedEntities = _context.ChangeTracker.Entries().Where(x => x.State == EntityState.Unchanged);

foreach(EntityEntry ee in unchangedEntities){
     ee.State = EntityState.Modified;
}

await _context.SaveChangesAsync();

假设每个被更新的实体都设置了所有属性，并在来自客户端的post数据中提供。不会为实体的部分更新工作)。

您还需要确保为该操作使用了一个新的/专用的实体框架数据库上下文。

因为发布到WebApi控制器的模型是从任何实体框架(EF)上下文中分离出来的，所以唯一的选择是从数据库中加载对象图(父对象图包括其子对象图)，并比较哪些子对象图被添加、删除或更新。(除非你在分离状态下(在浏览器中或其他地方)使用自己的跟踪机制跟踪更改，在我看来这比下面的更复杂。)它可能是这样的:

public void Update(UpdateParentModel model)
{
    var existingParent = _dbContext.Parents
        .Where(p => p.Id == model.Id)
        .Include(p => p.Children)
        .SingleOrDefault();

    if (existingParent != null)
    {
        // Update parent
        _dbContext.Entry(existingParent).CurrentValues.SetValues(model);

        // Delete children
        foreach (var existingChild in existingParent.Children.ToList())
        {
            if (!model.Children.Any(c => c.Id == existingChild.Id))
                _dbContext.Children.Remove(existingChild);
        }

        // Update and Insert children
        foreach (var childModel in model.Children)
        {
            var existingChild = existingParent.Children
                .Where(c => c.Id == childModel.Id && c.Id != default(int))
                .SingleOrDefault();

            if (existingChild != null)
                // Update child
                _dbContext.Entry(existingChild).CurrentValues.SetValues(childModel);
            else
            {
                // Insert child
                var newChild = new Child
                {
                    Data = childModel.Data,
                    //...
                };
                existingParent.Children.Add(newChild);
            }
        }

        _dbContext.SaveChanges();
    }
}

……CurrentValues。SetValues可以接受任何对象，并根据属性名将属性值映射到附加的实体。如果模型中的属性名称与实体中的名称不同，则不能使用此方法，必须逐个分配值。

因为我讨厌重复复杂的逻辑，这里有一个Slauma解决方案的通用版本。

这是我的更新方法。请注意，在分离场景中，有时您的代码将读取数据，然后更新它，因此它并不总是分离的。

public async Task UpdateAsync(TempOrder order)
{
    order.CheckNotNull(nameof(order));
    order.OrderId.CheckNotNull(nameof(order.OrderId));

    order.DateModified = _dateService.UtcNow;

    if (_context.Entry(order).State == EntityState.Modified)
    {
        await _context.SaveChangesAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
    }
    else // Detached.
    {
        var existing = await SelectAsync(order.OrderId!.Value).ConfigureAwait(false);
        if (existing != null)
        {
            order.DateModified = _dateService.UtcNow;
            _context.TrackChildChanges(order.Products, existing.Products, (a, b) => a.OrderProductId == b.OrderProductId);
            await _context.SaveChangesAsync(order, existing).ConfigureAwait(false);
        }
    }
}

这里定义了CheckNotNull。

创建这些扩展方法。

/// <summary>
/// Tracks changes on childs models by comparing with latest database state.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of model to track.</typeparam>
/// <param name="context">The database context tracking changes.</param>
/// <param name="childs">The childs to update, detached from the context.</param>
/// <param name="existingChilds">The latest existing data, attached to the context.</param>
/// <param name="match">A function to match models by their primary key(s).</param>
public static void TrackChildChanges<T>(this DbContext context, IList<T> childs, IList<T> existingChilds, Func<T, T, bool> match)
    where T : class
{
    context.CheckNotNull(nameof(context));
    childs.CheckNotNull(nameof(childs));
    existingChilds.CheckNotNull(nameof(existingChilds));

    // Delete childs.
    foreach (var existing in existingChilds.ToList())
    {
        if (!childs.Any(c => match(c, existing)))
        {
            existingChilds.Remove(existing);
        }
    }

    // Update and Insert childs.
    var existingChildsCopy = existingChilds.ToList();
    foreach (var item in childs.ToList())
    {
        var existing = existingChildsCopy
            .Where(c => match(c, item))
            .SingleOrDefault();

        if (existing != null)
        {
            // Update child.
            context.Entry(existing).CurrentValues.SetValues(item);
        }
        else
        {
            // Insert child.
            existingChilds.Add(item);
            // context.Entry(item).State = EntityState.Added;
        }
    }
}

/// <summary>
/// Saves changes to a detached model by comparing it with the latest data.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of model to save.</typeparam>
/// <param name="context">The database context tracking changes.</param>
/// <param name="model">The model object to save.</param>
/// <param name="existing">The latest model data.</param>
public static void SaveChanges<T>(this DbContext context, T model, T existing)
    where T : class
{
    context.CheckNotNull(nameof(context));
    model.CheckNotNull(nameof(context));

    context.Entry(existing).CurrentValues.SetValues(model);
    context.SaveChanges();
}

/// <summary>
/// Saves changes to a detached model by comparing it with the latest data.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of model to save.</typeparam>
/// <param name="context">The database context tracking changes.</param>
/// <param name="model">The model object to save.</param>
/// <param name="existing">The latest model data.</param>
/// <param name="cancellationToken">A cancellation token to cancel the operation.</param>
/// <returns></returns>
public static async Task SaveChangesAsync<T>(this DbContext context, T model, T existing, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
    where T : class
{
    context.CheckNotNull(nameof(context));
    model.CheckNotNull(nameof(context));

    context.Entry(existing).CurrentValues.SetValues(model);
    await context.SaveChangesAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
}

这是我的代码，工作得很好。

public async Task<bool> UpdateDeviceShutdownAsync(Guid id, DateTime shutdownAtTime, int areaID, decimal mileage,
        decimal motohours, int driverID, List<int> commission,
        string shutdownPlaceDescr, int deviceShutdownTypeID, string deviceShutdownDesc,
        bool isTransportation, string violationConditions, DateTime shutdownStartTime,
        DateTime shutdownEndTime, string notes, List<Guid> faultIDs )
        {
            try
            {
                using (var db = new GJobEntities())
                {
                    var isExisting = await db.DeviceShutdowns.FirstOrDefaultAsync(x => x.ID == id);

                    if (isExisting != null)
                    {
                        isExisting.AreaID = areaID;
                        isExisting.DriverID = driverID;
                        isExisting.IsTransportation = isTransportation;
                        isExisting.Mileage = mileage;
                        isExisting.Motohours = motohours;
                        isExisting.Notes = notes;                    
                        isExisting.DeviceShutdownDesc = deviceShutdownDesc;
                        isExisting.DeviceShutdownTypeID = deviceShutdownTypeID;
                        isExisting.ShutdownAtTime = shutdownAtTime;
                        isExisting.ShutdownEndTime = shutdownEndTime;
                        isExisting.ShutdownStartTime = shutdownStartTime;
                        isExisting.ShutdownPlaceDescr = shutdownPlaceDescr;
                        isExisting.ViolationConditions = violationConditions;

                        // Delete children
                        foreach (var existingChild in isExisting.DeviceShutdownFaults.ToList())
                        {
                            db.DeviceShutdownFaults.Remove(existingChild);
                        }

                        if (faultIDs != null && faultIDs.Any())
                        {
                            foreach (var faultItem in faultIDs)
                            {
                                var newChild = new DeviceShutdownFault
                                {
                                    ID = Guid.NewGuid(),
                                    DDFaultID = faultItem,
                                    DeviceShutdownID = isExisting.ID,
                                };

                                isExisting.DeviceShutdownFaults.Add(newChild);
                            }
                        }

                        // Delete all children
                        foreach (var existingChild in isExisting.DeviceShutdownComissions.ToList())
                        {
                            db.DeviceShutdownComissions.Remove(existingChild);
                        }

                        // Add all new children
                        if (commission != null && commission.Any())
                        {
                            foreach (var cItem in commission)
                            {
                                var newChild = new DeviceShutdownComission
                                {
                                    ID = Guid.NewGuid(),
                                    PersonalID = cItem,
                                    DeviceShutdownID = isExisting.ID,
                                };

                                isExisting.DeviceShutdownComissions.Add(newChild);
                            }
                        }

                        await db.SaveChangesAsync();

                        return true;
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                logger.Error(ex);
            }

            return false;
        }

这个应该可以了……

private void Reconcile<T>(DbContext context,
    IReadOnlyCollection<T> oldItems,
    IReadOnlyCollection<T> newItems,
    Func<T, T, bool> compare)
{
    var itemsToAdd = new List<T>();
    var itemsToRemove = new List<T>();

    foreach (T newItem in newItems)
    {
        T oldItem = oldItems.FirstOrDefault(arg1 => compare(arg1, newItem));

        if (oldItem == null)
        {
            itemsToAdd.Add(newItem);
        }
        else
        {
            context.Entry(oldItem).CurrentValues.SetValues(newItem);
        }
    }

    foreach (T oldItem in oldItems)
    {
        if (!newItems.Any(arg1 => compare(arg1, oldItem)))
        {
            itemsToRemove.Add(oldItem);
        }
    }

    foreach (T item in itemsToAdd)
        context.Add(item);

    foreach (T item in itemsToRemove)
        context.Remove(item);
}