title: How to use the same table in multiple models?
body: <p>I'm working with Entity Framework 4.1 in an MVC3 Web Application. I am tasked with re-writing a legacy application with a database w/ approximately 200+ tables, already in place with data, thus taking the Database first approach with EF.</p>
  <p>I understand that it's bad practice to create one giant edmx model for the entire app, but after hours of research, I can't get a clear direction on how to move forward because I can't figure out how to re-use common tables in more than one model. But I'd like to break up my models into smaller, managable contexts.</p>
  <p>When I place a common table (such as Users) in two models, the project throws a compilation error in the form of:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>The type 'Project.Models.EntityX' already contains a definition for 'EntityX_PropertyY'</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>The closest I've found to a workaround was here: <a href="http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/366721/entity-framework-the-type-xxx-already-contains-a-definition-for-x" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/366721/entity-framework-the-type-xxx-already-contains-a-definition-for-x</a></p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>Posted by Microsoft on 9/17/2008 at 5:18 PM</p>
  <p>This issue is by design. The work-around is to either put the models in a different folder (for C# &amp; ASP.NET projects), or to set the custom tool namespace (for C# &amp; VB projects).</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>This was back in '08. I couldn't get either option to work, and I'm wondering if there is a better way to go about architecting the project so that I am able to use the same table in more than one model?</p>