efcore

Introduction to the EF Core Project

Overview

Entity Framework Core, commonly referred to as EF Core, is a modern object-database mapper crafted for the .NET platform. This powerful tool allows developers to work with databases using .NET objects, eliminating the need for most data-access code that developers traditionally write. EF Core supports a wide range of databases, such as SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, SQLite, Azure Cosmos DB, MariaDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, among others. By leveraging LINQ (Language Integrated Query), EF Core provides capabilities for querying, change tracking, updates, and even schema migrations, making it a flexible and robust solution for data manipulation.

Installation

EF Core is accessible via NuGet, a package manager for .NET. Developers can install EF Core by selecting and installing the provider package that corresponds to their target database. Some example command lines for installing specific provider packages include:

dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Sqlite
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Cosmos

These commands download and add the EF Core package specifically tailored to work with SQL Server, SQLite, or Azure Cosmos DB.

Working with Daily Builds

For those interested in the most cutting-edge updates, EF Core is available in daily build versions. These versions incorporate the latest features and bug fixes, though they may precede official releases and previews by a significant period. Engaging with daily builds allows users to experience the latest improvements and provide essential feedback to the development team.

Basic Usage

The primary operation of EF Core involves the interaction with databases through .NET objects. Here's a simplified demonstration of how one might use EF Core in a typical scenario:

using var db = new BloggingContext();

// Inserting new data into the database
db.Add(new Blog { Url = "http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet" });
db.SaveChanges();

// Querying data
var blog = db.Blogs
    .OrderBy(b => b.BlogId)
    .First();

// Updating data
blog.Url = "https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet";
blog.Posts.Add(
    new Post
    {
        Title = "Hello World",
        Content = "I wrote an app using EF Core!"
    });
db.SaveChanges();

// Deleting data
db.Remove(blog);
db.SaveChanges();

This code snippet showcases fundamental operations: inserting, querying, updating, and deleting records within a database using EF Core.

Building from Source

While most users will install pre-built packages from NuGet, those interested in customizing or contributing to EF Core can build the project from the source. This approach involves obtaining the source code directly and compiling it on a developer's machine.

Contributing

EF Core warmly welcomes contributions from the community. Whether it is through bug fixes, enhancements, or improving documentation, contributions are facilitated through pull requests and guided by the contribution guidelines.

Support and Resources

For questions about using EF Core, developers are encouraged to ask on platforms like Stack Overflow under the entity-framework-core tag. Bug reports and feature requests can be submitted through GitHub issues. To assist users further, comprehensive documentation and support details are readily available in the project’s support guidelines.

EF Core's affiliation with the .NET Foundation, coupled with its open-source development model, ensures it remains a vital and ever-evolving tool for .NET developers seeking to interact with databases effectively.