Learning resources for Entity Framework 4.0 new features

The learning resources for C# 4.0 proved to very useful for many people so I thought about doing the same thing for EF 4.0.

New features

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/21/updated-entity-framework-documentation-for-beta1.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/06/22/announcing-entity-framework-feature-ctp-1.aspx

http://blog.tonysneed.com/?p=161

http://www.develop.com/entityframework4

SQL improvements

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/08/05/improvements-to-the-generated-sql-in-net-4-0-beta1.aspx

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/important-entity-framework-query-improvements-for-net-4-0/

POCO Objects

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee236639.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/11/sneak-preview-persistence-ignorance-and-poco-in-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/21/poco-in-the-entity-framework-part-1-the-experience.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/28/poco-in-the-entity-framework-part-2-complex-types-deferred-loading-and-explicit-loading.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/06/10/poco-in-the-entity-framework-part-3-change-tracking-with-poco.aspx

http://mosesofegypt.net/post/Entity-Framework-4-Persistence-Ignorance-First-Look.aspx

Deferred Loading and Explicit Loading

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/12/sneak-preview-deferred-loading-in-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/28/poco-in-the-entity-framework-part-2-complex-types-deferred-loading-and-explicit-loading.aspx

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/a-look-at-lazy-loading-in-ef4/

http://www.simonsegal.net/blog/2009/07/27/entity-framework-40-improvements/

http://www.simonsegal.net/blog/2009/07/29/entity-framework-40-and-fetching-strategies/

Functions in LINQ to Entities

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/checking-out-one-of-the-new-stored-procedure-features-in-ef4/

http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/gilf/archive/2009/05/23/calling-database-functions-in-linq-to-entities-in-entity-framework-4.aspx

Tip 30 – How to use a custom database function

Model Defined Functions

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/14/sneak-preview-model-defined-functions.aspx

http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/gilf/archive/2009/05/23/calling-database-functions-in-linq-to-entities-in-entity-framework-4.aspx

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/ef4-model-defined-functions-level-1-amp-2/

EDM Designer

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd456821(VS.100).aspx

Model-First Support

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee236639.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/12/sneak-preview-model-first-in-the-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/gilf/archive/2009/05/23/model-first-in-entity-framework-4.aspx

http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/10-4/10-4-Episode-15-Model-First-Development-with-the-Entity-Framework-40/

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/ef4-ndash-new-properties-for-entity-properties/

Code Only Support

http://blogs.msdn.com/efdesign/archive/2009/06/10/code-only.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/06/22/feature-ctp-walkthrough-code-only-for-entity-framework.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/efdesign/archive/2009/08/03/code-only-enhancements.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/alexj/archive/2009/08/12/tip-32-how-to-create-a-database-from-ssdl-ef-4-only.aspx

Complex Type Support

http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/gilf/archive/2009/05/22/complex-type-support-in-the-edm-designer-in-entity-framework-4.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/28/poco-in-the-entity-framework-part-2-complex-types-deferred-loading-and-explicit-loading.aspx

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/a-big-step-for-stored-procedures-in-ef4/

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/complex-types-in-the-edm-designer-in-ef4-and-a-look-at-updating-complex-types-in-code/

Table splitting

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/ef-table-splitting-ndash-the-opposite-of-entity-splitting/

Testability

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/18/sneak-preview-entity-framework-4-0-testability-improvements.aspx

Design patterns

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee236639.aspx

http://blog.keithpatton.com/2009/05/30/Entity+Framework+POCO+Repository+Using+Visual+Studio+2010+Net+40+Beta+1.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/06/16/using-repository-and-unit-of-work-patterns-with-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/another-clever-pattern-for-dealingi-wtih-ef-change-tracking-across-processes/

Events

http://romiller.com/Home/tabid/36/EntryID/51/Default.aspx

Architecture

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/14/sneak-preview-n-tier-development-with-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee321569.aspx

Self tracking entities

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/14/sneak-preview-n-tier-development-with-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee321569.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/efdesign/archive/2009/03/24/self-tracking-entities-in-the-entity-framework.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/06/10/poco-in-the-entity-framework-part-3-change-tracking-with-poco.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/06/22/feature-ctp-walkthrough-self-tracking-entities-for-entity-framework.aspx

http://weblogs.asp.net/gunnarpeipman/archive/2009/07/11/entity-framework-4-0-how-to-use-pocos.aspx

POCO T4 templates

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee236639.aspx

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/ef-why-work-with-objectstateentries-instead-of-the-objects-directly/

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/customizing-edm-code-gen-in-ef4/

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/small-ef4-wpf-bug-that-bit-me-in-the-butt-during-my-vtdotnet-presentation/

 http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/19/sneak-peek-using-code-generation-templates-with-the-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/21/poco-in-the-entity-framework-part-1-the-experience.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/06/22/feature-ctp-walkthrough-poco-templates-for-entity-framework.aspx

http://msmvps.com/blogs/matthieu/archive/2009/06/26/poco-t4.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/07/22/customizing-t4-templates.aspx

Validation

http://blogs.msdn.com/alexj/archive/2009/07/20/tip-27-how-to-implement-beforesave-validation.aspx

EDM designer

http://thedatafarm.com/blog/data-access/more-designer-improvements-deleting-entities-from-the-model-and-from-the-store-schema/

Foreign keys

http://blogs.msdn.com/efdesign/archive/2009/03/16/foreign-keys-in-the-entity-framework.aspx

Pluralization

http://blogs.msdn.com/efdesign/archive/2008/12/02/pluralization.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2009/05/20/sneak-preview-pluralization-in-entity-framework-4-0.aspx

http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/gilf/archive/2009/05/22/pluralize-or-singularize-generated-object-names-checkbox-in-entity-framework-4.aspx

Tips

Tip 32 – How to create a database from SSDL – EF 4 only

Tip 31 – How to compose L2O and L2E queries

Tip 30 – How to use a custom database function

Tip 29 – How to avoid LazyLoad or Load() reader issues

Tip 28 – How to implement an Eager Loading strategy

Tip 27 – How to Implement BeforeSave Validation

Tip 26 – How to avoid database queries using Stub Entities

Tip 25 – How to get Entities by key the easy way

Tip 24 – How to get the ObjectContext from an Entity

Tip 23 – How to fake Enums in EF 4

Tip 22 – How to make Include really Include

Tip 21 – How to use the Single() operator – EF 4.0 only

Tip 20 – How to deal with Fixed Length Keys

Tip 19 – How to use Optimistic Concurrency with the Entity Framework

Tip 18 – How to decide on a lifetime for your ObjectContext

Tip 17 – How to do one step updates with AttachAsModified(..)

Tip 16 – How to mimic .NET 4.0’s ObjectSet<T> today

Tip 15 – How to avoid loading unnecessary Properties

Tip 14 – How to cache Entity Framework Reference Data

Tip 13 – How to Attach an Entity the easy way

Tip 12 – How to choose an Inheritance Strategy

Tip 11 – How to avoid Relationship Span

Tip 10 – How to understand Entity Framework jargon

Tip 9 – How to delete an object without retrieving it

Tip 8 – How to write ‘WHERE IN’ style queries using LINQ to Entities

Tip 7 – How to fake Foreign Key Properties in .NET 3.5 SP1

Tip 6 – How and when to use eager loading

Tip 5 – How to restrict the types returned from an EF Query

Tip 4 – Conceptual Schema Definition Language Rules

Tip 3 – How to get started with T4

Tip 2 – Entity Framework Books

Tip 1 – How to sort Relationships in the Entity Framework

Enjoy,

Bogdan