The above figure represents how an entity framework interacts with the domain class and database. It provides a connection between the business entity and data tables in the database. It saves data stored in the properties of business entities and also retrieves data from the database and converts it to business entities objects automatically. Entity Framework will execute the relevant query in the database and then materialize results into instances of your domain objects for you to work within your app. Entity Framework Core (EF Core) is an open-source, lightweight, and cross-platform version of Entity Framework data-access technology. It is an Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) tool that enables developers to work with relational databases using .NET objects.

We can also use the OfType method after accessing the Productions property to narrow down to a particular hierarchical subset. When we finish setting up our project, we can run the dotnet-ef command, where the EF unicorn will greet us. To get started, I recommend folks install the latest version of the .NET 5 SDK.

Collection Navigation Property

Version 5.0.0 was released on August 11, 2012[11] and is targeted at .NET framework 4.5. Also, this version is available for .Net framework 4, but without any runtime advantages over version 4.

Having .NET Framework, Visual Studio, and SQL Server installed on your computer is good. In the year 2008, Microsoft introduced Entity Framework as part of .NET Framework 3.5. Currently, two latest versions of Entity Framework are available one is EF 6 (works with .NET Framework), and another is EF Core (works with .NET or .NET Core). Entity Framework Core is the new and improved version of Entity Framework for .NET Core applications. However, it can also be used with standard .NET 4.5+ framework based applications.

Seeding initial data

As per the above figure, Entity Framework fits between the business entities (domain classes) and the database. EF API will create a ForeignKey column in the table for the navigation properties that points to a PrimaryKey of another table in the database. For example, Grade are reference navigation properties in the following Student entity class. Each scalar property maps to a column in the database table which stores an actual data. For example, StudentID, StudentName, DateOfBirth, Photo, Height, Weight are the scalar properties in the Student entity class. In the above context class, Students, and Grades properties of type DbSet are called entity sets.

EF Core supports two development approaches 1) Code-First 2) Database-First. EF Core mainly targets the code-first approach and provides little support for the database-first approach because the visual designer or wizard for DB model is not supported as of EF Core 2.0. Entity Framework Core is the new version of Entity Framework after EF 6.x. It is open-source, lightweight, extensible and a cross-platform version of Entity Framework data access technology. EF Core users who want to write the query starting with the Ratings property cannot currently do so due to some EF Core query generator limitations. The EF team is still actively working through querying scenarios and are trying to resolve some of these issues.

We can use the NuGet tool window to find and install all these packages into our project. This tutorial is designed for those who want to learn how to start the development of the Entity Framework in their application. The aim of the ORM is to increase the developer’s productivity by reducing the redundant task used in the application. Both ORMs are great and work with any kind of project, from small-scale to massive enterprise-level applications. Entity Framework Core (EF Core) is an ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) framework for the .NET platform. One of the key features of EF Core is its support for strong typing.

Learn what is entity framework DB-First, Code-First and EF Core step by step. While using this site, you agree to have read and accepted our terms
of use and privacy policy. This list is created based on the most notable features and also from frequently asked questions about Entity Framework.