entity framework meaning (EF) is an open source[2] object–relational mapping (ORM) framework for ADO.NET. It was originally shipped as an integral part of .NET Framework, however starting with Entity Framework version 6.0 it has been delivered separately from the .NET Framework. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of installing and implementing Entity Framework in a .NET Core application. We’ll also use SQL Server as the database and show you how to install the required NuGet package, EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer. Entity Framework (EF) is a powerful and widely used Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) tool for .NET Core developers.
Then, we create DataSet or DataTables to store the data in memory and perform different types of operations on the data as per the business requirements. Then, based on the application domain classes and DBContext class, the EF Core creates the database and related tables. For a better understanding, please have a look at the following diagram. The EF Core supports relational and non-relational databases, which is possible due to the database providers. The Database Provider sits between the EF Core and the Database it supports.
What is Entity Framework?
This will increase the overall amount of time required to complete an application. If you have an existing database and database tables are already there, you must use the EF Core Database First Approach. In the database-first approach, the EF Core creates the DBContext and Domain Classes based on the existing database schema using EF Core Command. As a developer, we mostly work with data-driven applications, and the ORM Framework generates the necessary SQL (to perform the CRUD operation) that the underlying database can understand. So, in simple words, we can say that the ORM Framework eliminates the need for most of the data access code that, as a developer, we generally write. EF Core supports two development approaches 1) Code-First 2) Database-First.
- The EF Core supports relational and non-relational databases, which is possible due to the database providers.
- Again, when we want to read the data from the database into our application, we also have to write some custom code to map the data to our model classes like Student, Department, Address, etc.
- Learn Entity Framework DB-First, Code-First and EF Core step by step.
- The term ORM stands for Object-Relational Mapper, and it automatically creates classes based on database tables and vice versa is also true.
- Version 5.0.0 was released on August 11, 2012[11] and is targeted at .NET framework 4.5.
- The ORM Framework sits between our application code and the Database.
Here, I briefly introduced Entity Framework Core in this article, and I hope you enjoy this Introduction to Entity Framework Core article. This is the first article of the Entity Framework Core article series, and in this article, I will give you an overview of Entity Framework Core. The Entity Framework Core, or EF Core, is the latest version of Entity Framework and completely rewrites from the ground up. This figure shows where the Entity Framework fits in the application. Entity Framework tutorial provides basic and advanced concepts of Entity Framework. Our Entity Framework tutorial is designed for beginners and professionals.
EF Core Version History
The version 4.3.1 was released on February 29, 2012.[10] There were a few updates, like support for migration. 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.
In the Code-First Approach, the EF Core creates the database and tables using Code-First Migration based on the default conventions and configuration. You can also change the default conventions used to create the database and its related tables. This approach is useful in Domain-Driven Design (DDD), i.e., creating the database tables based on the Domain classes. Again, when we want to read the data from the database into our application, we also have to write some custom code to map the data to our model classes like Student, Department, Address, etc. This is a very common task as a developer for us that we do almost in every application.
Entity Framework Core
This Entity Framework Course is designed for Students, Beginners, Intermediates, and Professionals Developers who want to learn Entity Frameworks step by step, from the basics to the advanced concepts. This tutorial provides a hands-on approach to the subject with step-by-step program examples that will assist you in learning and putting the acquired knowledge into practice. The EF 6.x is a stable and fully tested ORM technology in many .NET Framework applications. Entity Framework Core is the new and improved version of the Entity Framework for .NET Core applications. Let us understand why we need to use the ORM Framework with an example.
The following figure illustrates where the Entity Framework fits into your application. Various profilers are commercially available to troubleshoot performance issues using Entity Framework, both for EF and EF Core variants.
Performance Profiling
The Entity Framework is an Object/Relational Mapping (O/RM) framework that maps objects to relational databases. EF Core is designed to work with .NET Core applications but can also be used with standard .NET Framework applications based on Framework 4.5 or higher. The following diagram shows the supported types of applications that we can develop using EF Core. As per the above figure, Entity Framework fits between the business entities (domain classes) and the database. In the code-first approach, EF Core API creates the database and tables using migration based on the conventions and configuration provided in your domain classes. This late-bound or “weakly-typed” approach to data access is prone to error.
Having .NET Framework, Visual Studio, and SQL Server installed on your computer is good. This website provides tutorials with examples, code snippets, and practical insights, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced developers. This tutorial is designed for those who want to learn how to start the development of the Entity Framework in their application. ADO.Net seems to refer directly to the technology for data sets and data tables. 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.
It provides an abstract level to the developers to work with a relational table and columns by using the domain-specific object. It also reduces the code size of the data specific applications and also the readability of the code increases by using it. This is a new technology for accessing the data for Microsoft application.
It was released along with .NET Core and is an Extensible, Lightweight, Open Source, and Cross-Platform Version of Entity Framework data access technology. EF API infers INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands based on the state of entities when the SaveChanges() method is called. The ChangeTrack keeps track of the states of each entity as and when an action is performed. The following figure illustrates the supported application types, .NET Frameworks and OSs. Entity Framework Core is the new version of Entity Framework after EF 6.x.
Step 7: Implement Entity Framework in Your Application
Entity Framework is an open-source ORM (Object Relational Mapping) Framework for the .NET applications supported by Microsoft. It enables the developers to work with the data using the objects of domain-specific classes without focussing on the database tables and columns where the data is stored. With the Entity Framework, developers can work at a higher level of abstraction when developers deal with the data. With the help of Entity Framework, we can create and maintain data-oriented applications with less code when compared with traditional applications. The above figure represents how an entity framework interacts with the domain class and database.