News
Update Pipeline Improved in Entity Framework Core 7
Entity Framework Core 7 (EF7) Preview 3 is out with improvements to the update pipeline along with initial preview support for scaffolding (database-first) templates and more.
Improvements to the update pipeline include:
The other main highlight of the preview is the ability to control how EF7 reverse engineers or scaffolds classes for database-first projects using T4 templates, which combine text blocks and control logic that can generate a text file.
Jeremy Likness, senior program manager, said this new ability lets developers "take control of your DbContext" while showing how this code:
```mermaid
erDiagram
ORDERMASTER ||--o{ ORDERDETAIL : owns
ORDERDETAIL ||--|{ LINE-ITEM : contains
ORDERMASTER }|..|{ CUSTOMER : uses
```
generates this diagram:
[Click on image for larger view.] Mermaid ERD Diagram (source: Microsoft).
"Do you prefer 'null bang' setters? Property initializers? Constructor initialization? All these customizations are now possible," he said in an April 13 blog post. "In fact, you are not limited to generating the 'traditional' DbContext and entity classes. Anything is possible, including using the templates to generate documentation.
"The best way to learn about this new feature is to watch our recent community standup: Database-first with T4 templates in EF7."
All of the above and more is explained in greater detail in related GitHub issues, and future work is detailed in the Plan for Entity Framework Core 7.0.
About the Author
David Ramel is an editor and writer at Converge 360.