The EF Core query abstraction is a leaky one, with many of the database concepts finding their way into the interface. The conceptual leaks are not bad, but they are something to be mindful of as we start using features like DbFunction and FromSql to execute database-engine-specific features. EF Core provides a common interface for multiple relational database engines.
If you’re considering using Entity Framework, there are a few things to keep in mind. The learning curve and complexity can be daunting at first, but with some effort, it can be conquered. By taking charge of these aspects of development, you’ll be better equipped to create a smooth and responsive user experience that meets the needs of your users.
Limited Control Over SQL Queries
In the following example, both Movie and Series share a Productions table. It’s highly advised not to enable this feature, as navigation properties become opaque mechanisms that trigger unnecessary and costly roundtrips to the database. Since EF Core is no longer tracking entities, EF Core will allocate an entity for the same what is entity framework Actor multiple times. Some folks may want to test against a different engine, for instance SQL Server might be the target database engine, but tests run against a SQLite instance. While possible, this approach leads to more problems like SQL syntax differences and having to manage a different migration strategy entirely.
There are drawbacks to scaffolding that we can avoid by starting with a Code-First approach. We can define logical relationships in C# that we cannot represent through schema alone; these concepts include inheritance hierarchies, owned types, and table splitting. Additionally, concurrency mechanisms are not reverse engineered by the scaffold command. Finally, nullable reference types are also not reverse engineered, and we must add them in after the fact. EF Core has gone through several iterations to deliver a repeatable command-line interface.
Advantages of Entity Framework
With LINQ, you can easily interact with various types of data such as objects, databases, XML files, and more. Instead of writing complex SQL queries or traversing through large collections manually, you can use the LINQ syntax to filter, sort, group and transform data effortlessly. Briefly, Entity Framework is a powerful open-source ORM framework to support .NET applications.
- It’s important to weigh the pros and cons carefully before making a decision.
- Let’s look at projecting our Movie model into a result that includes characters and actor data.
- You map a class to one or multiple tables or map one table to one or multiple classes and many more.
- By taking charge of these aspects of development, you’ll be better equipped to create a smooth and responsive user experience that meets the needs of your users.
- This allows developers to use C# or VB.NET syntax for querying databases instead of writing complex SQL statements.
String interpolation is one of the best C# features of the last decade. It’s a convenience that has saved every C# developer countless hours of shuffling index values in format strings. EF Core allows for the use of string interpolation when using raw SQL. Still, developers must be careful not to refactor their code into an SQL injection vulnerable state inadvertently. Let’s start with a parameterized SQL using an interpolated string. „Delete” is one of those words that can have a different meaning depending on our perspective.
So if you like to create a clean model without tying it up with some ORM technology, it is simply not possible. I am a software engineer/architect, technology enthusiast, technology coach, blogger, travel photographer. You can use the function SaveChanges() to execute INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands in the database. When using class models, some people say that Entity Framework includes additional unnecessary data which makes the class sizes bigger.
Boom you’ve just taken a dependence out of the equation and replaced it with something testable. Founded in 1997, Devart is currently one of the leading developers of database management software, ALM solutions and data providers for most popular database servers. Like any other application, even those built with C# would require a database and would benefit a lot from it. And to perform CRUD operations via the application efficiently, we would need the help of Entity Framework. It increases the performance and capabilities of our application. The pros/cons presented here are not all inclusive, and may or may not be issues depending on what you are trying to do.
