Repository pattern giving exception while updating record - asp.net-mvc

Question

In my MVC application, I have been using Repository pattern for DAL.
Now, when I do select one entity record and and update the entity field value and do Update operation then getting below error.
Attaching an entity of type 'DAL.User' failed because another entity
of the same type already has the same primary key value. This can
happen when using the 'Attach' method or setting the state of an
entity to 'Unchanged' or 'Modified' if any entities in the graph have
conflicting key values. This may be because some entities are new and
have not yet received database-generated key values. In this case use
the 'Add' method or the 'Added' entity state to track the graph and
then set the state of non-new entities to 'Unchanged' or 'Modified' as
appropriate."} System.Exception
Below is repository stuff:
public void Update(TEntity entity)
{
if (_context.Entry(entity).State != EntityState.Modified)
{
_dbSet.Attach(entity);
_context.Entry(entity).State = EntityState.Modified;
}
}
Calling as follow:
In Bussines layer library:
Manager class :
private readonly IUnitOfWork _unitOfWork;
private IRepository <User , int> UserRepository
{
get
{
return _unitOfWork.GetRepository<AccountUser, int>();
}
}
public void UpdateUserEntity(UserDTO u)
{
try
{
User model = new User ();
UserRepository.Update(Mapper.Map(u, model));
_unitOfWork.SaveChanges();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
throw;
}
}
Please guide me how I could resolve above error.

Answer 1

The exception says that there is another entity with the same key that has been attached, but different reference.
The exception could be caused by previous attached entity.
db.Set<Entity>().Attach(new Entity { Id = 123 });
db.Set<Entity>().Attach(new Entity { Id = 123 }); // different reference but same key
Or could be also caused by tracked entity that automatically attached.
db.Set<Entity>().FirstOrDefault(e => e.Id == 123); // automatically attached
db.Set<Entity>().Attach(new Entity { Id = 123 }); // different reference but same key
The second cause can be solved by mentioning AsNoTracking when retrieving item.
db.Set<Entity>().AsNoTracking().FirstOrDefault(e => e.Id == 123);
Or to be safe you can use this extension to always detach any attached entity.
public static class DbSetExtension
{
public static void SafeAttach<T>(
this DbContext context,
T entity,
Func<T, object> keyFn) where T : class
{
var existing = context.Set<T>().Local
.FirstOrDefault(x => Equals(keyFn(x), keyFn(entity)));
if (existing != null)
context.Entry(existing).State = EntityState.Detached;
context.Set<T>().Attach(entity);
}
}
Usage.
db.SafeAttach(entity, e => e.Id);

Answer 2

It's because of the reason,
"TEntity entity as a new object instead of the one which already exists".
Means,Entity framework treats each new object as new entry.(eventhough with same existing old data,PK & all).
Solution is,
First retrieve the object from database
Do/assign the changes to the same object (preferably without changing Primary key)
Then do state as Modified ,Update,SaveChange()