Unleashing the Power of Entity Framework in Web Application

Introduction

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Entity Framework is an Object Relational Mapping framework for .NET applications. It simplifies the interaction between the database and the application. Entity framework helps in handling the translation of Entity classes and properties into Database Objects.

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Development approaches

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Code First Approach

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• Creating Entity Classes First and then letting Entity framework generate the database schema based on Entity classes.
• This approach is ideal when starting from scratch.

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Database First Approach

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• Use Entity framework tools to generate entity classes on existing database schema.
• The Database First Approach is a better option when you have an existing database schema.

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Model First Approach

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• Design your Entity Model using Visual Designer in Visual Studio and generate both database schema and entity classes using the Entity Framework.

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Key Features of Entity Framework

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The following are a few key features of the Entity Framework.

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Simplified Asynchronous Programming

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• More complete support is needed for async database operations. Besides, it reduces blocking on the main thread and improves the responsiveness of an application.
• Enables the easy development of SaaS applications where there is separate client data.

‍Advanced LINQ Enhancements

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• Improved query execution for better performance.
• LINQ now provides language-level support, hence allowing developers to express their queries in an even more efficient and expressive way.

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Multi-Tenant Support and Simplified Migration Process

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• Easy Configuration of Tenant-Specific Data Contexts.
• Allows building SaaS applications with ease for multiple clients with different data needs.
• Much easier management of schema changes over time.
• More reliability and stability while updating the database.

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Bigger Database Provider Support

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• Smooth integration with SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and so much more.
• Freedom of choice depends on what works best for the app.

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Better Performance and Scalability

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• Optimizations to allow quicker data access and manipulation.
• Ability to handle a larger amount of data and/or more complex queries.

Rich Data Annotations and Fluent API

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• Extended set of data annotations for model configuration.
• Extended Fluent API for more fluent and expressive model building.

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These overall improvements enable better productivity by allowing developers to create more scalable and maintainable applications, thus opening further developments in data access technologies within the ecosystem.

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CRUD Operations

Entity Framework bridges between your .NET application and the database, allowing the developer to work with data in terms of objects and properties. This means the developers can perform CRUD operations without writing SQL queries, as Entity Framework handles the translation of entity classes and properties into database objects.

CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) are fundamental operations in any database, including Entity Framework. Below are the samples.

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Create (Insert)

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Read (Select)

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LINQ

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LINQ (Language Integrated Query) allows to write queries against Entity Framework data model.

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Querying & Filtering Data

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Sorting

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Joins

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Aggregation

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CASE # 1—Entity Model

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Sample Model Created Using Visual Studio

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Automatically Created Classes for Entity Framework

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CASE # 2—Middleware for E-Commerce App

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You are building a middleware system using Entity Framework for an e-commerce store that reads/writes data from various devices, such as mobile, web, & other third-party system feeds.

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Implementation:

Sample Entities

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Customer:

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SalesOrder:

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Product:

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Supplier:

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Warehouse:

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Conclusion

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Below are the advantages of using the Entity Framework in C#.

Quickly create data models and interact with databases using a high-level object-oriented approach. Supports Database abstraction and automatic change tracking. Provides inbuilt validation support to ensure data integrity and allow multiple users to work with the same data without losing it.

In summary, Entity Framework simplifies database access and management in C# applications, making it easier to develop, maintain, and scale database-driven applications.

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