Using Entity Framework 6

The Entity Framework (EF) was first released as part of .NET Framework 3.5 with Service Pack 1 back in late 2008. Since then it has evolved, as Microsoft has observed how programmers use an object-relational mapping (ORM) tool in the real world.

The version included with Visual Studio 2015 is Entity Framework 6.1.3 (EF6). It is mature, stable, and supports the "old" EDMX design-time way of defining complex inheritance models, and a few other advanced features. However, EF6 is only supported by the .NET Framework, not by the .NET Core.

The next version, Entity Framework Core 1.0 (EF Core), has been renamed and had its version reset to 1.0 to emphasize that it is a reset of functionality. Although EF Core has a similar name, you should be aware that it is different in many ways to EF6. Take a look at its pros and cons:

• Pros

  • EF Core is available for the .NET Core as well as the .NET Framework, which means it can be used cross-platform, on Linux and Max OS X as well as...