ASP.NET Data Access Content Map

Getting started with data access in ASP.NET

Choosing Data Access Options for ASP.NET Web Applications

Using Entity Framework Code First

Getting Started with ASP.NET 4.5 Web Forms - Introduction. (ASP.NET site. This tutorial set is not mainly about how to use Entity Framework but it includes tutorials that use Code First.)

Getting Started with EF 4.1 using MVC 3 (ASP.NET site. Covers a wide range of Entity Framework Code First scenarios but does not include Migrations.)

Introduction to ASP.NET MVC 4 (ASP.NET site. Covers a narrow range of Entity Framework Code First scenarios but does include Migrations. For Migrations, see also the Using Entity Framework Code First Migrations scenario.)

Data Developer Center - Entity Framework

See also the Books about the Entity Framework and Finding current information about the Entity Framework scenarios.

Using Entity Framework Database First or Model First (the EF designer)

Getting Started with the Entity Framework 4.0 (ASP.NET site. Database First with a Web Forms sample application. This tutorial is relatively old but can be used as an introduction to the EntityDataSource control. Before starting this tutorial, review Web Forms data binding methods in Choosing Data Access Options for ASP.NET Web Applications to determine if a data source control is the right choice for your scenario.)

Continuing with the Entity Framework (ASP.NET site. Database First with a Web Forms sample application. Includes 3 tutorials on the ObjectDataSource control, 1 on concurrency, 1 on EF performance, and one on what's new in EF 4.0. The what's new tutorial includes a brief introduction to Model First. Most of the tutorials in this series use techniques that are no longer recommended for new development. The DbContext API is now recommended instead of the ObjectContext API. If you want to write a data access layer and you are targeting ASP.NET 4.5, Web Forms model binding is now recommended instead of the ObjectDataSource control.

Entity SQL Language (Entity SQL is no longer the recommended way to create and execute queries, but it is still used in the EntityDataSource control uses Entity SQL.)

Data Developer Center - Entity Framework

See also the Books about the Entity Framework and Finding current information about the Entity Framework scenarios.

Improving Entity Framework performance

Advanced Entity Framework Scenarios for an ASP.NET Application (ASP.NET site. Shows how to execute your own SQL statements or call your own stored procedures, how to disable change detection, and how to disable validation when saving changes.)

Maximizing Performance with the Entity Framework in an ASP.NET Web Application (ASP.NET site)

Performance Considerations for Entity Framework 5

Performance Considerations (Entity Framework)

Books about the Entity Framework

Programming Entity Framework: DbContext by Julia Lerman and Rowan Miller

Programming Entity Framework: Code First by Julia Lerman and Rowan Miller

Both of these books are up-to-date with the most current recommended techniques, and they provide a much more comprehensive yet easy-to-follow introduction to the Entity Framework than anything available on the Internet. Another book, Programming Entity Framework by Julie Lerman, is larger and more comprehensive but it is older and many of the techniques it covers are no longer the recommended way to use the Entity Framework.

Data Developer Center - Books

Using Web Forms Model Binding

Choosing Data Access Options for ASP.NET Web Applications (Includes a section on when to use model binding versus data source controls.)

Web Forms Model Binding Part 1: Selecting Data (Scott Guthrie's blog. In these older blog posts, the property that is currently named ItemType was named ModelType, but otherwise the information they contain is valid.)

Web Forms Model Binding Part 2: Filtering Data (Scott Guthrie's blog)

Web Forms Model Binding Part 3: Updating and Validation (Scott Guthrie's blog)

ASP.NET 4.5 Web Forms Model Binding (ASP.NET site video)

Model Binding Part 1 - Selecting Data (ASP.NET site video)

Model Binding Part 2 - Filtering (ASP.NET site video)

Getting Started with ASP.NET 4.5 Web Forms - Display Data Items and Details (ASP.NET site)

The blogs and videos are old but are still the best introduction to Web Forms model binding. The Getting Started tutorial is new but does not have very much about model binding in it.

Using Web Forms data-bound controls and data-binding expressions

Choosing Data Access Options for ASP.NET Web Applications (Includes sections on how to choose data-bound controls and data-binding expressions.)

Data-Bound Web Server Controls

Strongly Typed Data Controls (Scott Guthrie's blog)

Strongly Typed Data Controls (ASP.NET site video)

Data-Binding Expressions Overview (This page only covers Eval and Bind; it has not been updated to include Item and BindItem.)

ASP.NET 4.5 Web Forms Strong Typed Data Controls (ASP.NET site video)

Getting Started with ASP.NET 4.5 Web Forms - Display Data Items and Details (ASP.NET site)

For strongly typed data controls (Item and BindItem expressions), the blog and video are old but are still the best introduction. The Getting Started tutorial is new but does not have very much about strongly typed data-binding expressions in it.

Working with SQL Server Express LocalDB databases

SQL Server Express 2012 LocalDB

SQL Server Connection Strings for ASP.NET Web Applications

How to: Upgrade to LocalDB (How to migrate an .mdf file from an earlier version of SQL Server Express to LocalDB. You also have to go through this process if you download one of the SQL Server 2012 sample databases.)

Introducing LocalDB, an improved SQL Express (SQL Server Express blog)

LocalDB: Where is My Database? (SQL Server Express blog)

Using LocalDB with Full IIS, Part 1: User Profile (SQL Server Express blog)

Choosing between SQL Server and Windows Azure SQL Database

Compare SQL Server with Windows Azure SQL Database (Microsoft TechNet site)

Data Migration to Windows Azure SQL Database: Tools and Techniques (Includes sections that compare SQL Server to SQL Database and provide guidance on when to migrate from SQL Server to SQL Database.)

Windows Azure SQL Database Delivery Guide (Microsoft TechNet site)

SQL Server Feature Limitations (Windows Azure SQL Database)

Windows Azure Table Storage and Windows Azure SQL Database - Compared and Contrasted (For an application that you deploy to Windows Azure, Windows Azure Table storage might be an alternative to Windows Azure SQL Database. This topic helps you decide between these alternatives.)

Windows Azure SQL Database

Using Dynamic Data scaffolding

Choosing Data Access Options for ASP.NET Web Applications (Includes a section on when to use the dynamic data project templates.)

ASP.NET Dynamic Data

Optimizing data access performance

ASP.NET Performance Overview

Maximizing Performance with the Entity Framework in an ASP.NET Web Application (ASP.NET site)

ASP.NET Caching

Improving ASP.NET Performance (There is a "Retired Content" warning at the top of this page, but most of the information is still relevant and there is no comparable updated resource.)

Improving SQL Server Performance (Same comment as the previous link.)