Entity Framework Project & Database Project Integration

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Starting with Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview, the Entity Data Model Wizard allows you to create an entity data model from an existing database project. You can then control how the entities are mapped to database objects (for example: tables, columns, store procedures, etc.) in the project.

By relating models with database objects, you can program against such objects from your application code. Since they now reside in the same solution, debugging can also flow across your existing application and the database projects. For more information about creating database projects with SQL Server Developer Tools, code-named "Juneau" (SSDT), see SQL Server Developer Tools.

With the Entity Data Model Tools you can create a conceptual model from an existing database project and then graphically visualize and edit your conceptual model. Or, you can edit the generated conceptual model first, and then synchronize any changes back to the database project. In either case, you can automatically update your model when the underlying database project changes and automatically generate object-layer code for your application. Database generation and object-layer code generation are customizable. You can use the Entity Designer to visualize and edit your model. Fine-grained synchronization control settings are provided to enable you to specify how you want changes to propagate between the entity data model and the database project. If you specify to always have changes synchronized, any changes in the entity data model will result in an update of the mapped database object, and vice versa. This can happen even when one of them is closed. For example, if you create a new column in the Table Designer for a mapped table in the database project, the relevant entity will immediately show the new property.

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