Entity Framework builds on the ADO.NET persistence model and the language features of LINQ to create a powerful persistence mechanism that bridges the gap between relational databases and object-oriented languages.

About the Book

Entity Framework 4 in Action is an example-rich tutorial that helps .NET developers learn and master the subject. It begins by explaining object/relational mapping and then shows how you can easily transition to EF from ADO.NET. Through numerous focused examples and two larger case studies, the book unfolds the EF story in a clear, easy-to-follow style. Infrastructure and inner workings of EF are discussed when you need them to understand a particular feature.

Who Should Read It

This book is written for .NET developers. Knowledge of ADO.NET is helpful but not required.

What’s Inside

• Full coverage of EF 4 features
• Layer separation, Data Layer, and Domain Model
• Best practices

Table of Contents

PART 1 REDEFINING YOUR DATA-ACCESS STRATEGY

1. Data access reloaded: Entity Framework
2. Getting started with Entity Framework

PART 2 GETTING STARTED WITH ENTITY FRAMEWORK

1. Querying the object model: the basics
2. Querying with LINQ to Entities
3. Domain model mapping
4. Understanding the entity lifecycle
5. Persisting objects into the database
6. Handling concurrency and transactions

PART 3 MASTERING ENTITY FRAMEWORK

1. An alternative way of querying: Entity SQL
2. Working with stored procedures
3. Working with functions and views
4. Exploring EDM metadata
5. Customizing code and the designer

Stefano Mostarda is an ASP.NET MVP since January 2007 and a regular contributor to the largest Italian ASP.NET Community, ASPItalia.com. He has been working with the Entity Framework from its earliest betas and actively uses it to develop business applications.

Marco De Sanctis has been designing and developing enterprise applications in distributed scenarios for the last seven years. He currently works as a senior software engineer for one of the biggest Italian companies on the IT market; during his spare time, he’s a content manager at ASPItalia.com.

Daniele Bochicchio is a Microsoft ASP.NET MVP since 2002 and the network manager of ASPItalia.com Network, the largest Italian .NET Framework community. He is the co-founder of 5DLabs.it, a consulting agency specialized in ASP.NET, Silverlight & .NET Framework. He is a well-known professional speaker and author.