01_Entity Framework (EF) - Maniconserve/EF-Core GitHub Wiki

Entity Framework (EF) is a popular Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) framework for .NET applications. Microsoft provides two major versions: Entity Framework 6 (EF 6) and Entity Framework Core (EF Core).

Entity Framework 6

  • Works only on the .NET Framework (not cross-platform).

  • Supports Database First, Model First, and Code First approaches.

Entity Framework Core

  • Works on .NET Core and .NET 5+, making it cross-platform.

  • Primarily supports Code First approach but can work with Database First using third-party tools.

If you are building an application using the .NET Framework, you can implement it by selecting the ADO.NET Entity Data Model option in Visual Studio.

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If you are creating an application using .NET (Core or later versions), you will need to install specific packages, which will be discussed later.

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Our focus will be on EF Core since we will be working with .NET versions.