PDC 2008 Experience: Day 2: Entity Framework Futures

The Data Platform

Layers of the data platform

The Data Access Layer -> Integration aggregation sync --> Reporting and Analytics -> Management deployment policy and security --> Models and Workflow

Joining the layers together

• Core storage
• Data access API's and frameworks
• Mid-tier frameworks and technologies
• Client technologies

Consumer Segmentation

This missing from the first version of the Entity Framework

• Tradition data developer (basic ADO.NET developer)
• Scripting / rebel frameworks (Struts, nHibernate, ActiveRecord, Domain Driver Design)
• LOB scripting / macro writers (SharePoint, Excel developers)
• Information Worker (The typically office user)

The Entity Framework v1 was geared towards

• Model centric data developer (Enterprise Architects)

A Lap Around Framework v2

Entity Creation from Code

• The Entity framework tries to map your database table to your C# class automatically. NO MAPPING FILES REQUIRED.
• If the table names and or fields are different you can map it with attributes

   1: [TableMapping(Schema="sys", TableName="tables")]

   2: [ColumnMapping(PropertyName="TableKeyKey", ColumnName="object_id")]

   3: [Key(PropertyName="Id")]

   4: public class MyTableObject

   5: {

   6:     public int Id { get; set;}

   7:     public string Name { get; set;}

   8: }

Entity Creation from Model

You will be able to create entities from a drag and drop designer within Visual Studio.

Creation from a Framework Perspective

• Support for deferred loading
• Support for table value functions

   1: public void TvfDemo(DataContext context)

   2: {

   3:     var cp = from in context.Products

   4:             where p.ProductID == 799

   5:             select new {Product=p, Customers = context.GetCustomersForProduct())};

   6:  

   7:     foreach(var o in cp)

   8:     {

   9:         Console.WriteLine(o.Product.Name)

  10:         {

  11:             foreach(customer c in o.Customers)

  12:             {

  13:                 Console.WriteLine(c.Name);

  14:             }

  15:         }

  16:     }

  17: }

• Support for model driven functions (the functions a created with the model or XML representation of the model)

   1: // c.FirstName + c.LastName;

   2: c.FullName() 

Other Features

• You can create complex types (Types with multiple properties)

Entity Framework, EDM, and Oslo

• EDM and Entity Framework could be domains in Oslo