The Entity Framework decreases the amount of coding and maintenance required for data-driven applications by enabling you to program against data models defined in terms of entities and relationships.
The features described below are new to the Entity Framework in .NET Framework 4.
Foreign Keys in the Conceptual Model
You can create conceptual models in which foreign key columns in the database correspond to scalar properties on entity types.
Self-Tracking Entities for N-Tier Application Development
You can now use the self-tracking entities when working with N-tier applications. The self-tracking entities can record changes to scalar, complex, and navigation properties. The tracking information in self-tracking objects could be applied to the object context on the service side. For more information, see What's New in ADO.NET.
New Methods for N-Tier Application Development
New methods on classes in the System.Data.Objects namespace make it easier to develop N-Tier applications.
EntityDataSource Support for the QueryExtender Control
The
EntityDataSource control now supports the
QueryExtender control, which is used to create filters for data retrieved from a data source. For more information, see
Applying LINQ Queries to EntityDataSource.
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