Developing Applications with Entity Framework 4.1 with Don Kiely

Course Description: The course starts with an introduction to Entity Framework, where you will learn about data access and object-relational mapping, how the Entity Framework works and the tools it provides, and you will see how to build an entity data model. Then you will explore the entity data model in more detail, where you will learn about the model designer and the raw XML that actually defines the conceptual, storage, and mapping models. You will also learn how you can use stored procedures and functions with Entity Framework. Next you will learn about the most important ways to query data using Entity Framework objects. You are most likely to use LINQ to Entities, but other options include Entity SQL and an Entity Client API. After that, you will learn about the ways that you can modify and customize the entity data objects, using the model designer, partial classes and methods, and events. Finally, you will learn about code-first development, which we are confident is going to become the primary way to develop new Entity Framework applications.

Prerequisites: This course assumes you are familiar with the Entity Framework and using Visual Studio 2010.

11+ hours of media runtime 

VB/C# Differences

Syntax Differences
LINQ syntax differences
Lambda expressions
Partial class differences

Object Relational Mapping/Data Access

Object/Relational Differences
Data Type Differences
Relationship Difference
Inheritance Difference
Identity/Equality Difference
Handling the Differences
Object-Relational Mapping (ORM)
Benefits to ORM
Generic Data Objects vs Entity Objects
Generic Data Objects
Entity Data Objects
Entity Data Object Benefits
Data Programming against a model

Create Entity Data Model

Entity Data Model
LINQ to SQL
Why Use Entity Framework
When Not to Use EF or an ORM
Build an App w/Entity Framework
Demo: Build a Class Library

Explore the Data Model

Demo: Explore Data Model
Demo: View Entities properties
Demo: Examine Customer Object
Demo: View Entity Mapping Details
Demo: View Entity Relationships
Demo: View underlying XML
Demo: View .Designer file
Demo: View app.config file
Using Entity Objects (EO)
Demo: Use EO in an app

Explore APIs and Tools

Architecture
Entity Data Model Designer
Design Methodologies w/Designer
Generate Code Using T4
Object Services
Entity Client
Entity Framework Services

Entity Data Model

Models within in Model
Create/Use Entity Data Model
Use Database-First Design
Demo: Database-First Design
Multiplicity
Entity Model Properties
Demo: Entity Model Properties

Model First Designs

Event Registration
Demo: Create a New Model
Demo: Add Items to Designer
Demo: Add Entities
Demo: Add Associations
Demo: Create/Generate Database
Demo: Examine Generated Code

Model Browser / XML

Demo: Model Browser
Entity Data Model in the Raw
XML Definition Languages
Demo: Explore the XML Code
Demo: Outline the XML
Demo: Designer Element
Demo: Diagram Content
Demo: Runtime Content
Demo: Conceptual Models
Demo: EntityContainer
Demo: EntitySet/AssociationSet
Demo: EntityType
Demo: NavigationProperty
Demo: Association Elements
Demo: Storage Models
Demo: Mappings
Demo: ScalarProperty
Model Build Mechanics
MetadataArtifactProcessing

Using Stored Procedures

Ways to Use Stored Procedures
Update Model from Database
Demo: Define Stored Procedures
Demo: Import into Model
Demo: View Function Elements
Change An Entity
Demo: Change an Entity
Demo: View Changed XML
Demo: Test Stored Procedures
Demo: View SQL Server Profiler

Stored Procedures To Read Data

Demo: Read Data w/Stored Procs
Demo: Test Reading Data
Return a Scalar Value
Demo: Return Scalar Value
Demo: Test Scalar Value

Querying Entity Framework

Entity Framework Query Options
Framework Architecture
LINQPad
Demo: LINQPad
Demo: A Simple Query
Demo: Examine Class Diagram

LINQ to Entities

LINQ Primer
LINQ Query Expressions
LINQ Methods
Demo: LINQ Query Expression
Demo: LINQ Methods
Which Syntax to use
LINQ to Entities
Projections
Demo: Projections
Querying Related Data
Demo: Navigation References
Demo: Navigation Collections

Aggregates / Grouping/ Other Options

Aggregates
Demo: Aggregates
Other Querying Options
Querying w/Entity SQL
Demo: Entity SQL
Basic Entity SQL Syntax
VALUE Keyword
Demo: Parameterized Entity SQL
Canonical Functions
Entity SQL Method Syntax
Demo: Entity SQL Method Syntax
Directly Querying EntityClient
Demo: Querying EntityClient

Updating Entities / Saving Data

Updating Existing Entities
Demo: Update an Entity
Inserting New Entities
Demo: Insert New Entities
Deleting Entities
Demo: Deleting Entities

Modifying Entities in the Model Designer

Sample AWLT Model
Modify Entities in the Designer
Organizing the Model
Demo: Explore/Arrange Model
Cleaning up the Model
Messy Database
Entities
Demo: Explore Entity Names
Entity Properties
Demo: Explore Entity Props
Navigation Properties
Demo: Explore Navigation Props
Default Values
Demo: Default Values

Customizing Entities

Demo: Entity Data Object Classes
OnChanging/OnChanged Methods
Demo: OnChanging/OnChanged
Demo: Code to Use Partial Classes
Demo: PropertyChangedValidation
Demo: View a Computed Field

Entity Framework Events

ObjectContexts ObjectMaterialized
ObjectContexts SavingChanges
Demo: SavingChanges
PropertyChanging / PropertyChanged
AssociationChanged Event
Demo: AssociationChanged Event

Creating Code-First Model

Using Code-First
Create/Use a Code-First Model
Demo: Create a Code-First Model
Demo: Create New Project
Demo: Create the Model
Demo: Implement Classes
Demo: Add Navigation Properties
Demo: Add Context Class
Secret Behind the Magic
Use Model in an MVC 3 App
Demo: Create/View Customers
Demo: Add Controller

Create / Update the Code-First Database

Demo: Run the Application
Demo: Explore the Database
Demo: Add Edit Support
Demo: Add Delete Support
Demo: Modify the Model
Changing the Model
Demo: Database.SetInitializer

Seeding / Customizing the Data

Demo: Add Seed Data
Demo: Drop/Create the Database
Customizing the Database
Common Conventions
Data Annotations
Demo: Data Annotations
Demo: View Schema Changes
DbModelBuilder API
Demo: DbModelBuilder API
Configure Properties and Entities
Demo: Configure Properties / Entities