EntityFramework-Complete-Tutorials

What is Entity Framework?

First question that comes to the mind is what is an entity framework?

So let’s see standard definition of Entity Framework given by Microsoft:

The Microsoft ADO.NET Entity Framework is an Object/Relational Mapping (ORM) framework that enables developers to work with relational data as domain-specific objects, eliminating the need for most of the data access plumbing code that developers usually need to write. Using the Entity Framework, developers issue queries using LINQ, then retrieve and manipulate data as strongly typed objects. The Entity Framework’s ORM implementation provides services like change tracking, identity resolution, lazy loading, and query translation so that developers can focus on their application-specific business logic rather than the data access fundamentals.

To simply say it: Entity framework is an Object/Relational Mapping (O/RM) framework. It is an enhancement to ADO.NET that gives developers an automated mechanism for accessing & storing the data in the database and working with the results in addition to DataReader and DataSet.

Now the question is what is O/RM framework and why do we need it?

ORM is a tool for storing data from domain objects to relational database like MS SQL Server in an automated way without much programming. O/RM includes three main parts: Domain class objects, Relational database objects and Mapping information on how domain objects maps to relational database objects (tables, views & storedprocedures). ORM helps us to keep our database design separate from our domain class design. This makes application maintainable and extendable. It also automates standard CRUD operation (Create, Read, Update & Delete) so developer doesn’t need to write it manually.

For more info visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-relational_mapping

There are many ORM frameworks for .net in the market like DataObjects.Net, NHibernate, OpenAccess, SubSonic etc. ADO.NET Entity Framework is from Microsoft.