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Entity Framework

Stable

Entity Framework (EF) is an open-source Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) framework for .NET.

Property Value
Current Version EF Core 10.x
Forge Compatibility Forge 3.0 (.NET 10)
Status Stable

Description

Entity Framework (EF) is an open-source Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) framework for .NET, developed by Microsoft. It enables developers to interact with databases using .NET objects, eliminating the need to write most of the data-access code typically required in applications.

EF Core supports multiple database providers including SQL Server, Oracle, Cosmos DB, and PostgreSQL.

Why we use it

Entity Framework is used to map database objects to C# objects, which makes it easier to create database interactions. We currently use it for:

  • Oracle databases - Database-first approach for legacy data
  • Cosmos DB - Code-first approach for new applications
  • SQL Server - Both code-first and database-first approaches

When to use it

  • ✅ Data access layer for relational databases
  • ✅ Cosmos DB integration via the Cosmos DB provider
  • ✅ Database migrations and schema management

When to consider alternatives:

  • ⚠️ Extreme Latency Sensitivity: Scenarios requiring sub-millisecond optimization where even the minimal overhead of object tracking/mapping is too costly.
  • ⚠️ Complex Reporting/Analytics: Queries involving hundreds of lines of SQL, CTEs, or window functions where LINQ generation might be unpredictable or harder to optimize than hand-written SQL.
  • ⚠️ Massive Bulk Operations: While ExecuteUpdate handles many cases, inserting millions of rows may still be faster with raw SQL SqlBulkCopy or specialized bulk libraries.

Prerequisites

  • .NET 10 SDK
  • Database connection (Oracle, Cosmos DB, SQL Server, etc.)
  • EF Core CLI tool (optional, for migrations)
Guide Description
Cosmos DB NoSQL Using EF Core with Cosmos DB
Oracle Database Using EF Core with Oracle