You can create conceptual models in which foreign key columns in the database correspond to scalar properties on entity types. For more information, see Defining and Managing Relationships (Entity Framework).

New methods on classes in the System.Data.Objects namespace make it easier to develop N-Tier applications. For more information, see Building N-Tier Applications (Entity Framework).

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.

The ObjectContext class now returns typed ObjectSet<(Of <(TEntity>)>) objects that you can use to perform create, read, update, and delete operations on entity objects. For more information, see Working with ObjectSet (Entity Framework) and How to: Create Unit Tests with In-Memory Data.

You can now directly execute store commands from the ObjectContext. For more information, see How to: Directly Execute Commands Against the Data Source.

You can use your own custom data classes together with your data model without making any modifications to the data classes themselves. This means that you can use "plain old" CLR objects (POCO), such as existing domain objects, with your Entity Framework application. For more information, see Working with POCO Entities (Entity Framework).

With lazy loading, also known as deferred loading, related objects are automatically loaded from the data source when you access a navigation property. For more information, see Shaping Query Results (Entity Framework).

The EntityFunctions and SqlFunctions classes provide access to canonical and database functions from LINQ to Entities queries. The EdmFunctionAttribute allows a CLR method to serve as a proxy for a function defined in the conceptual model or storage model. For more information, see Calling Functions in LINQ to Entities Queries.

LINQ to Entities queries that contain an OrderBy operator now return results ordered by the argument specified in the operator, regardless of the position of the operator in the query. However, the OrderBy operator in Entity SQL and ObjectQuery<(Of <(T>)>) queries is ignored if it is not the last operator in the query.

You can configure the ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer to use text templates to generate customized object-layer code. For more information, see How to: Customize Object-Layer Code Generation (Entity Data Model Designer).

The Generate Database Wizard (Entity Data Model Tools) enables you to do conceptual modeling first, and then create a database that supports the model. For more information, see How to: Generate a Database from a Conceptual Model (Entity Data Model Tools).

The ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer now supports complex types. For more information, see the following topics:

• How to: Create and Modify Complex Types (Entity Data Model Tools)

• How to: Add a Complex Type Property to an Entity (Entity Data Model Tools)

• How to: Map a Function Import to a Complex Type (Entity Data Model Tools)

• How to: Map Complex Type Properties to Table Columns (Entity Data Model Tools)

The Entity Data Model Wizard and the Update Model Wizard (Entity Data Model Tools) provide the option of using singular or plural forms of Entity, EntitySet, and NavigationProperty names to make application code more readable. For more information, see Choose Your Database Objects Dialog Box (Entity Data Model Wizard) and Choose Your Database Objects Dialog Box (Update Model Wizard).

The Model Browser window of the ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer enables you to delete objects from the storage model and to search the conceptual and storage models for a specified string. For more information, see Model Browser Window (Entity Data Model Designer) and How to: Delete Objects from the Storage Model (Entity Data Model Tools).

You can extend the functionality of the ADO.NET Entity Data Model Tools by using classes in the Microsoft.Data.Entity.Design.Extensibility namespace to write Visual Studio extensions. Classes in the Microsoft.Data.Entity.Design.Extensibility namespace allow you to do the following:

• Extend the .edmx file generation process.

• Extend the .edmx file update process.

• Add custom properties to objects in the Entity Designer and Model Browser.

• Load and save custom file formats.

• Extend the .edmx file loading and saving processes.

For more information, see Extending the Entity Data Model Tools.

The documentation for the Entity Data Model has been updated. For more information, see Entity Data Model.