Microsoft has released the Entity Framework beta 2 and the 1st beta of the Entity Framework Tools CTP today.
This is great news for those developers using Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 and want to get serious with the Entity Framework and more importantly the Framework Tools.
From the ADO.NET team blog, the Beta 2 includes new features of the June CTP:
Beta 2 of the Entity Framework includes many great improvements and added features since the last release of the June CTP, including:
- Events to customize code generation
- Abstract types in EDM models
- Complex types
- <Using> support in metadata files
- Entity key serialization
- Increased persistence ignorance in entity data classes
- Improved connection management in ObjectContext
- Improved DataBinding usability
- Metadata annotations
- Better support for span over LINQ to Entities queries
- Improvements to LINQ queries: additional canonical functions and automatic mapping from CLR functions to server functions
- A new event for extensibility of SaveChanges
- Usability and consistency improvements
- Polymorphic results from stored procedures
My personal excitement is with the tools being released from the team. From the ADO.NET blog, the tools include:
Entity Designer
- Generate a model from a database (via wizard) and display it on the designer surface
- Edit conceptual model properties (namespace, alias, etc.)
- Control visual aspects of the design surface (layout) and persist changes
- Add, Delete, and Edit Entities; Scalar properties; Associations; and Inheritance
- Automatic set management
- Automatic Navigation property management
- Error reporting
- Validate model and mappings using Entity Framework Runtime
Entity Mapping
- View the mapping for a C-Side Entity or Association
- Rename or delete C-Side objects without worrying about mapping
- Map an EntityType to multiple tables
- Apply multiple conditions to a table mapping
- Map associations
- Automatic generation of conditions and referential constraints on associations
- TPH: Map an Entity hierarchy to a single table
- TPT: Map an Entity hierarchy to multiple tables
Entity Model Browser
- Understand and visualize the model in a tree hierarchy
- Visually relate shapes on the designer surface with hierarchy in model
Visual Studio Integration
- Support for C# and VB in multiple project types: ASP.NET Web site, ASP.NET Web Application Project, Console, WinForms, and Library
- Project system integration: item template for .edmx file, model generation wizard, EdmxDeploy.exe, and Entity Framework validation on build
- Support for multiple Visual Studio editions: Express, Standard, Pro, and VSTS.
The team also announced a set of samples which should help out quite a bit as well. I am looking forward to see how the tools stack up against some of my OR/M favorites.