Entity Framework Improved in .NET 4

The second version of the Entity Framework (EF), Microsoft’s object-relational mapping (ORM) system, ships with the .NET Framework 4. ORMs allow developers to insulate application code from the logical and physical storage format of databases, which can simplify software development and maintenance and reduce dependencies on the structures of databases that are often not managed by application developers. The updated EF addresses shortcomings that have slowed developer adoption and hindered competition with other ORMs. However, development teams must be prepared to move to the .NET Framework 4 to use the new EF.

Conceptualizing Data Access

The ADO.NET Entity Framework, part of the ADO.NET data access technologies of the .NET Framework, is an ORM system, a set of developer tools and run-time components that map application components that store and manipulate data (objects) to corresponding tables in a database management system, such as Microsoft’s SQL Server. The EF is designed to reduce the amount of data access code that a developer has to write and to simplify code maintenance in response to database design changes. It also is becoming the primary way to use Microsoft’s Language Integrated Query (LINQ) feature with SQL Server. (For information on the web-based data access service within ADO.NET, WCF Data Services, see the sidebar “WCF Data Services“.)