Task list

In this chapter we’ll explore the two different approaches for manipulating an Entity Data Model in code.

The objectcontext API

We’ll start by exploring the older of the two APIs: the ObjectContext API. The code produced by the Database-First and Model-First Workflows uses this API by default, and the DbContext wraps its functionality, so a basic understanding will be useful even if you decide you prefer the newer (and Microsoft-recommended) DbContext API.

The dbcontext API

After we’ve found our way around the original ObjectContext API, we’ll turn our attention to the newer DbContext API that simplifies a lot of the common tasks you’ll need to perform. We’ll also get our first glimpse at how you can control the code produced by the Entity Model Designer, a topic we’ll explore in more detail in the next chapter.

Extending the model

Finally we’ll look at how you can extend the model created by the designer to add new properties that aren’t mapped to the database field, or new functionality that is purely code-based.