What is an Entity Framework

Entity Framework (EF) is an open-source object-relational mapping (ORM) framework for .NET applications. It enables developers to work with databases using .NET objects, eliminating the need for most of the data-access code that developers usually need to write. By allowing developers to interact with a database in a more intuitive way, EF helps streamline the data retrieval and manipulation process.

Using Entity Framework, you can easily create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) data in your database without writing raw SQL queries. EF maps database tables to C# classes, making it simpler to work with data in a way that's natural for .NET developers.

Here's a simple example of using Entity Framework to define a model, create a context, and retrieve data:

public class Product { public int ProductId { get; set; } public string Name { get; set; } public decimal Price { get; set; } } public class ProductContext : DbContext { public DbSet Products { get; set; } } using (var context = new ProductContext()) { var products = context.Products.ToList(); }

Entity Framework ORM .NET database object-relational mapping