Implement SQL Server full-text search TVFs by roji · Pull Request #37578 · dotnet/efcore

roji · 2026-01-28T17:52:14Z

~~Note: this PR is based on top of #37536, skip first commit~~

FREETEXTTABLE, CONTAINSTABLE

Thanks to @Abde1rahman1 for a first implementation attempt in #37489, which inspired this.

Copilot

Pull request overview

This pull request implements support for SQL Server full-text search table-valued functions (FREETEXTTABLE and CONTAINSTABLE), allowing users to query full-text indexes and access ranking information for search results. The implementation follows the pattern established by the VectorSearch feature (PR #37536) and includes comprehensive test coverage.

Changes:

Adds FreeTextTable and ContainsTable extension methods that return queryable results with Key and Rank columns
Implements query translation in SqlServerQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor to convert these method calls into appropriate SQL
Refactors TableValuedFunctionExpression to accept IReadOnlyList<Expression> instead of just SqlExpression, enabling passing of table expressions and array expressions as arguments
Moves existing full-text predicate tests from NorthwindDbFunctionsQuerySqlServerTest to a new dedicated test file

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 24 out of 25 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/Query/Translations/VectorTranslationsSqlServerTest.cs	Adds VectorSearch tests; contains bug with experimental attribute using "FOO"
test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/Query/Translations/FullTextSearchTranslationsSqlServerTest.cs	New comprehensive test file for full-text search TVFs and predicates
test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/Query/NorthwindDbFunctionsQuerySqlServerTest.cs	Removes full-text search tests (moved to dedicated file)
test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/Query/NorthwindDbFunctionsQuerySqlServer160Test.cs	Removes full-text search tests (moved to dedicated file)
test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/Query/GearsOfWarQuerySqlServerTest.cs	Removes binary column full-text tests (moved to dedicated file)
src/Shared/EFDiagnostics.cs	Adds EF9105 diagnostic ID for experimental VectorSearch feature
src/EFCore/Query/Internal/NavigationExpandingExpressionVisitor.cs	Changes to delegate unknown methods to provider-specific visitors instead of throwing
src/EFCore.Sqlite.Core/Query/Internal/SqliteQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.cs	Refactors to use JsonEachExpression.Json property
src/EFCore.Sqlite.Core/Query/Internal/SqliteQuerySqlGenerator.cs	Updates to use JsonEachExpression.Json property
src/EFCore.Sqlite.Core/Query/Internal/SqlExpressions/JsonEachExpression.cs	Refactors from JsonExpression property to Json property for consistency
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerTypeMappingPostprocessor.cs	Updates to use SqlServerOpenJsonExpression.Json property
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerSqlTreePruner.cs	Updates to use SqlServerOpenJsonExpression.Json property
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerSqlNullabilityProcessor.cs	Adds handling for full-text TVFs to remove null topN arguments
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.cs	Implements translation for VectorSearch, FreeTextTable, and ContainsTable; contains array type bugs
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerQuerySqlGenerator.cs	Adds SQL generation for VECTOR_SEARCH, FREETEXTTABLE, and CONTAINSTABLE
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerJsonPostprocessor.cs	Updates to use SqlServerOpenJsonExpression.Json property
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlExpressions/SqlServerOpenJsonExpression.cs	Refactors from JsonExpression property to Json property for consistency
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Properties/SqlServerStrings.resx	Adds VectorSearchRequiresColumn error message
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Properties/SqlServerStrings.Designer.cs	Generates accessor for VectorSearchRequiresColumn
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Extensions/SqlServerQueryableExtensions.cs	New file with VectorSearch, FreeTextTable, ContainsTable methods and result types
src/EFCore.SqlServer/Extensions/SqlServerDbFunctionsExtensions.cs	Minor documentation formatting fix
src/EFCore.SqlServer/EFCore.SqlServer.csproj	Suppresses EF9105 experimental warning
src/EFCore.Relational/Query/SqlExpressions/TableValuedFunctionExpression.cs	Changes Arguments type from SqlExpression to Expression to support non-SQL expressions
src/EFCore.Relational/Query/RelationalSqlTranslatingExpressionVisitor.cs	Adds member access reduction for NewExpression
src/EFCore.Relational/Query/RelationalShapedQueryCompilingExpressionVisitor.ShaperProcessingExpressionVisitor.cs	Removes assertion that prevented reading non-property non-nullable columns

Files not reviewed (1)

src/EFCore.SqlServer/Properties/SqlServerStrings.Designer.cs: Language not supported

test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/Query/Translations/VectorTranslationsSqlServerTest.cs

src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.cs

src/EFCore.SqlServer/Extensions/SqlServerQueryableExtensions.cs

roji · 2026-02-01T12:27:03Z

/azp run

azure-pipelines · 2026-02-01T12:27:15Z

Azure Pipelines successfully started running 1 pipeline(s).

src/EFCore.SqlServer/Extensions/SqlServerQueryableExtensions.cs

FREETEXTTABLE, CONTAINSTABLE Closes dotnet#11487

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 9 out of 9 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

Copilot · 2026-02-04T13:44:37Z

src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.cs

+            case MemberExpression:
+                // Translate and return the column expression wrapped in an array
+                return TranslateLambdaExpression(source, columnSelector) is ColumnExpression column
+                    ? Expression.NewArrayInit(typeof(string), column)


The NewArrayInit should use typeof(ColumnExpression) instead of typeof(string) to match the actual element type being stored in the array.

Copilot · 2026-02-04T13:44:37Z

src/EFCore.SqlServer/Query/Internal/SqlServerQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.cs

+
+                // Return a NewArrayExpression containing all the ColumnExpressions
+                return columns.Count > 0
+                    ? Expression.NewArrayInit(typeof(string), columns)


The NewArrayInit should use typeof(ColumnExpression) instead of typeof(string) to match the actual element type being stored in the array.

See dotnet/efcore#37536 See dotnet/efcore#37538 See dotnet/efcore#37578

Part of dotnet#37578

See dotnet/efcore#37536 See dotnet/efcore#37538 See dotnet/efcore#37578

Part of dotnet#37578

) Part of #37578

See dotnet/efcore#37536 See dotnet/efcore#37538 See dotnet/efcore#37578

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings January 28, 2026 17:52

roji requested a review from a team as a code owner January 28, 2026 17:52

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of roji January 28, 2026 17:52 View session

roji mentioned this pull request Jan 28, 2026

SQL Server: Support for full-text search TVFs (CONTAINSTABLE/FREETEXTTABLE) #37489

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Copilot AI reviewed Jan 28, 2026

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roji force-pushed the SqlServerFullTextTVFs branch from f6f729d to 6024214 Compare January 28, 2026 18:20

roji force-pushed the SqlServerFullTextTVFs branch 2 times, most recently from 123d0da to 7eaf2c8 Compare February 3, 2026 15:52

AndriySvyryd approved these changes Feb 4, 2026

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src/EFCore.SqlServer/Extensions/SqlServerQueryableExtensions.cs Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

roji force-pushed the SqlServerFullTextTVFs branch from 7eaf2c8 to 71ff1d4 Compare February 4, 2026 13:34

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings February 4, 2026 13:34

roji enabled auto-merge (squash) February 4, 2026 13:34

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of roji February 4, 2026 13:34 View session

Implement SQL Server full-text search TVFs

6059d0c

FREETEXTTABLE, CONTAINSTABLE Closes dotnet#11487

roji force-pushed the SqlServerFullTextTVFs branch from 71ff1d4 to 6059d0c Compare February 4, 2026 13:40

Copilot AI reviewed Feb 4, 2026

View reviewed changes

roji disabled auto-merge February 4, 2026 16:18

roji merged commit cd95f65 into dotnet:main Feb 4, 2026
8 of 10 checks passed

roji deleted the SqlServerFullTextTVFs branch February 4, 2026 16:19

dotnet-maestro bot mentioned this pull request Feb 5, 2026

[main] Source code updates from dotnet/efcore dotnet/dotnet#4676

Merged

roji added a commit to roji/EntityFramework.Docs that referenced this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Document new SQL Server vector and full-text search features

fb9ba6b

See dotnet/efcore#37536 See dotnet/efcore#37538 See dotnet/efcore#37578

roji mentioned this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Document new SQL Server vector and full-text search features dotnet/EntityFramework.Docs#5258

Merged

roji added a commit to roji/EntityFramework.Docs that referenced this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Document new SQL Server vector and full-text search features

bf61efe

See dotnet/efcore#37536 See dotnet/efcore#37538 See dotnet/efcore#37578

roji added a commit to roji/efcore that referenced this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Support joining SQL Server full-text search TVFs

e66cc82

Part of dotnet#37578

roji mentioned this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Support joining SQL Server full-text/vector search TVFs as inner #37631

Merged

roji added a commit to roji/efcore that referenced this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Support joining SQL Server full-text search TVFs

44a4d38

Part of dotnet#37578

roji added a commit to roji/EntityFramework.Docs that referenced this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Document new SQL Server vector and full-text search features

41f8813

See dotnet/efcore#37536 See dotnet/efcore#37538 See dotnet/efcore#37578

roji added a commit to roji/efcore that referenced this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Support joining SQL Server full-text search TVFs

f0eab2b

Part of dotnet#37578

roji added a commit that referenced this pull request Feb 5, 2026

Support joining SQL Server full-text/vector search TVFs as inner (#37631

1732188

) Part of #37578

roji added a commit to dotnet/EntityFramework.Docs that referenced this pull request Feb 7, 2026

Document new SQL Server vector and full-text search features (#5258)

453bf75

See dotnet/efcore#37536 See dotnet/efcore#37538 See dotnet/efcore#37578

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Implement SQL Server full-text search TVFs #37578

Implement SQL Server full-text search TVFs #37578
roji merged 1 commit intodotnet:mainfrom
roji:SqlServerFullTextTVFs

roji commented Jan 28, 2026 •

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roji commented Jan 28, 2026 •

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