Exam 70-487 Preparation, Part II: Entity Framework

This is the second part in the Exam 70-487 preparation materials series. This post will cover all objectives regarding Entity Framework. If you want to see all of this in action, check out the Github repository.

Objectives

• Query and manipulate data by using the Entity Framework
  • Query, update and delete data by using DbContext; build a query that uses deferred execution; implement lazy loading and eager loading; create and run compiled queries; query data by using Entity SQL; perform asynchronous operations using Entity Framework; map a stored procedure
• Query and manipulate data by using Data Provider for Entity Framework
  • Query and manipulate data by using Connection, DataReader and Command from the System.Data.EntityClient namespace; perform synchronous and asynchronous operations; manage transactions (API); programmatically configure a Data Provider
• Query data by using LINQ to Entities
  • Query data by using LINQ operators (for example, project, skip, aggregate, filter and join); log queries and database commands; implement query boundaries (IQueryable vs. IEnumerable); implement async query
• Query and manipulate data by using ADO.NET
  • Query and manipulate data by using Connection, DataReader, Command, DataAdapter, DataSet; perform synchronous and asynchronous operations; manage transactions (API)
• Create an Entity Framework data model
  • Structure the data model using table per type, table per class, table per hierarchy; choose and implement an approach to manage a data model (code first vs. model first vs. database first); implement POCO objects; describe a data model by using conceptual schema definitions, storage schema definition, mapping language (CSDL, SSDL, MSL) and Custom Code First Conventions

Useful Links

Query & Manipulate data using Entity Framework

• ObjectContext vs DbContext
• Add vs Attach
• When to use Add and Attach
• CRUD
• Lazy Loading
• Explicit Loading
• Eager Loading
• Querying

Query & Manipulate data using Data Provider for Entity Framework

• Connection Management
• Building EntityConnection Connection String
• Execute parameterized Entity SQL Query using EntityCommandExecute parameterized Entity SQL Query using EntityCommand
• Working with transactions

Query data by using LINQ to Entities

• IEnumerable vs IQueryable

Query and manipulate data by using ADO.NET

• ADO.NET overview
• ADO.NET Architecture
• Data Providers
• DbConnection
• DbCommand
• DbDataReader
• DbDataAdapter
• Retrieving and modifying data in ADO.NET
• Executing a command
• DataAdapters and DataReaders
• Retrieving data using a DataReader
• Populating a DataSet from a DataAdapter

Create an Entity Framework data model

• Inheritance Strategies
• Table per Hierarchy
• Table per Type
• Table per Concrete Class
• Complex Types
• Code virst vs model first vs database first
• Define POCO entities
• Conditional Mapping
• Working with POCO entities
• CSDL, SSDL and MSL Specifications

• Exploring how the Entity Data Model (EDM) Generates Code and Executes QueriesExploring how the Entity Data Model (EDM) Generates Code and Executes Queries

• edmx file overview

• Model first
• Entity Data Model
• Function Import
• Create DbContext in Entity Framework
• Entity SQL
• Entity SQL Value Keyword
• Connection Retry & Transient fault handling