Entity Framework 6.1, Part 5 of 6: SQL Server Features

Course description

In this course, you’ll learn about a few of Entity Framework’s more recent additions to support SQL Server features. You’ll start with a look at Entity Framework’s support for hierarchyID or, rather, it’s missing support. Then you’ll jump into one of the best new features in Entity Framework in a long time, that would be enums, which you can use to protect the integrity of your data. Next you’ll explore Entity Framework’s support for spatial data, which support location-aware applications and data. You’ll wrap up the course with a look at table-valued functions and their support in Entity Framework.

Each LearnNowOnline training course is made up of Modules (typically an hour in length). Within each module there are Topics (typically 15-30 minutes each) and Subtopics (typically 2-5 minutes each). There is a Post Exam for each Module that must be passed with a score of 70% or higher to successfully and fully complete the course.

Prerequisites

This course assumes that you are experienced with relational database design and programming concepts. Entity Framework is all about data access, and the course doesn’t spend any time on data fundamentals. You’ll also need a good understanding of object-oriented programming in C#, so that you know how to use the entity data objects that Entity Framework generates from your data model. You’ll also need to have a working knowledge of Language INtegrated Queries (LINQ) in C#. The course uses Entity Framework with various SQL Server databases, so you should know enough about SQL Server to know how to perform various tasks and be able to connect to a database. But you don’t need deep knowledge of SQL Server to use Entity Framework productively. You should have already viewed the Entity Framework 6.1: ORM and Modifying Entities course before taking this course.

Meet the expert

Don Kiely

Don Kiely is a featured instructor on many of our SQL Server and Visual Studio courses. He is a nationally recognized author, instructor, and consultant specializing in Microsoft technologies. Don has many years of teaching experience, is the author or co-author of several programming books, and has spoken at many industry conferences and user groups. In addition, Don is a consultant for a variety of companies that develop distributed applications for public and private organizations.

Video Runtime

110 Minutes

Time to complete

205 Minutes

Course Outline

SQL and Enum Support

Overview (29:21)

• Introduction (00:38)
• The HierarchyID Data Type (01:16)
• Old Ways of Doing Hierarchies (02:41)
• HierarchyID Data Type (03:03)
• Indexing a Hierarchy (01:16)
• HierarchyID Support (00:59)
• Demo: Setup (03:33)
• Demo: Install Entity Framework (04:37)
• Demo: Entity Data Model (02:43)
• Demo: Database Model (04:35)
• Demo: AdventureWorks (03:06)
• Summary (00:48)

Enum Support (34:17)

• Introduction (01:09)
• Enum Support (02:09)
• Demo: Add Enum Type (05:27)
• Demo: Add Enum Type Cont (05:27)
• Demo: Use Enum (03:14)
• Demo: Context Object (04:43)
• Demo: Create Person (03:03)
• Demo: Create View (04:25)
• Demo: Index (04:09)
• Summary (00:27)

SQL Server Data Types

Spatial Data (24:41)

• Introduction (00:38)
• Introduction to Spatial Data (01:32)
• Spatial Data Types (03:40)
• Entity Framework Spatial Data (00:25)
• Demo: Spatial Data (04:05)
• Demo: Address Proximity (05:29)
• Demo: View (04:22)
• Demo: Troubleshooting (03:59)
• Summary (00:28)

Table-Valued Functions (22:14)

• Introduction (00:41)
• Table-Valued Functions (TVFs) (01:19)
• Demo: Table-Valued Functions (05:19)
• Demo: Controller (04:39)
• Demo: Add View (05:05)
• Demo: View Cont (04:41)
• Summary (00:26)