14 DAY TRIAL // Over a year since the introduction of the first taste of the ADO.NET Entity Framework Feature, Microsoft has managed to produce the fourth Community Technology Preview of the offering. Microsoft ADO.NET Entity Framework Feature Community Technology Preview 4 (CTP 4) is now available through the Microsoft Download Center, free of charge, just as the precedent releases. For developers that are not familiar with the ADO.NET Entity Framework Feature project, the Redmond company is working to provide a collection of features designed to add on top of Entity Framework 4. The software giant emphasized that the release also brings .NET Framework 4 to the table.
“This preview includes the first release of our Productivity Improvement work along with updates to the Code First feature. Code First changes include: improved relationship configuration in the Fluent API; support for Data Annotations to configure the model; extended default conventions to reduce required configuration,” Microsoft explained.
Microsoft has put together two walkthroughs designed to highlight the changes introduced with Community Technology Preview 4. In this regard, the Redmond company separated the modifications in ADO.NET Entity Framework Feature CTP 4 in Productivity Improvements and Code First additions. Developers interested in getting an insight into the evolution of ADO.NET Entity Framework Feature CTP4 will be able to leverage the Productivity Improvements Walkthrough and the Code First Walkthrough.
“We are still working through the best ship vehicle to deliver a go-live release for these features. Your feedback has had a big impact on the Code First feature so far and we want to be careful not to lock down the API too quickly. That said we are getting consistent asks for a go-live for Code First and we are working to get to an RTM in the earliest feasible ship vehicle,” revealed a member of the ADO.NET team. Microsoft ADO.NET Entity Framework Feature Community Technology Preview 4 (CTP 4) is available for download here.