Entity Framework is an open-source object-relational mapping (ORM) framework for .NET applications supported by Microsoft. It enables developers to work with data using objects of domain-specific classes without focusing on the underlying database tables and columns where this data is stored. With the Entity Framework, developers can work at a higher level of abstraction when they deal with data, and can create and maintain data-oriented applications with less code compared with traditional applications.
Some key features of Entity Framework include:
- Object-relational mapping: Entity Framework is an ORM that simplifies mapping between objects in software to the tables and columns of a relational database.
- Eliminates data-access code: Entity Framework eliminates the need for most of the data-access code that developers usually need to write.
- Supports LINQ queries: Entity Framework supports LINQ queries, change tracking, updates, and schema migrations.
- Cross-platform: Entity Framework is a modern object-relation mapper that lets you build a clean, portable, and high-level data access layer with .NET (C#) across a variety of databases, including SQL Database (on-premises and Azure), SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Azure Cosmos DB.
Entity Framework was first released in 2008 and was originally shipped as an integral part of .NET Framework, but starting with Entity Framework version 6.0, it has been delivered separately from the .NET Framework. A new framework known as Entity Framework Core (EF Core) was introduced in 2016 with similar but not complete feature parity. The latest version of EF Core is 7.0.
