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Entity Framework Core vs. Entity Framework

Introduction to Entity Framework

Entity Framework (EF) is an open source object-relational mapping (ORM) framework for .NET that enables developers to easily work with data in their applications. EF provides a set of classes, methods and properties to enable developers to interact with data sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. It also provides a way to map objects in the application to the data in the database.

Entity Framework Core vs. Entity Framework

Entity Framework Core (EF Core) is the latest version of Entity Framework, an object-relational mapping (ORM) framework for .NET. It is an open-source and cross-platform version of EF that can be used on Windows, Linux, and macOS. It provides a set of classes, methods and properties to enable developers to interact with data sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. EF Core is faster, more lightweight, and more extensible than Entity Framework. It also supports multiple databases, including SQLite, PostgreSQL, and MySQL. Additionally, EF Core is more closely aligned with .NET Core and the .NET Standard, allowing it to be used on multiple platforms.

Advantages of Entity Framework Core

  • It is open-source and cross-platform.
  • It supports multiple databases, including SQLite, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.
  • It is more closely aligned with .NET Core and the .NET Standard, allowing it to be used on multiple platforms.
  • It supports LINQ queries.
  • It is faster and more lightweight than Entity Framework.
  • It is more extensible, allowing developers to customize the ORM to their needs.

Disadvantages of Entity Framework Core

  • It lacks some features of Entity Framework, such as lazy loading and stored procedures.
  • It has fewer third-party libraries and tools than Entity Framework.
  • It is still relatively new and may have some bugs or stability issues.

Example of Using EF Core

Here is an example of how to use EF Core to connect to a SQL Server database and perform a simple query: // Create a DbContext var dbContext = new DbContext(); // Connect to the database dbContext.ConnectToDatabase("Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;User Id=myUsername;Password=myPassword;"); // Perform a query var query = dbContext.From<MyEntity>() .Where(x => x.Name == "John") .Select(x => x.Age); // Execute the query var result = query.ToList();

Tips for Using Entity Framework Core

  • Use EF Core Migrations to keep track of changes to your database structure.
  • Use LINQ queries to retrieve data from your database and keep your code DRY.
  • Be mindful of EF Core's performance when querying large sets of data.
  • Look for third-party libraries and tools to simplify your development process.
  • Test your code thoroughly to ensure that it works as expected.