Description

The VCL ExpressEntityMapping Framework is an object-relational mapping (ORM) tool. It allows you to access and manage data in code, without low-level database interaction and manual SQL queries. You operate with an “Entity Model” – an object-oriented reflection of the database. Data tables are collections, records are individual objects, and fields or relations are properties.

Start with a project that has a Windows Form and an empty GridControl on it. The solution also includes an Entity Framework model named Model1 by default. You can double-click it to see its visual representation on the diagram. For this tutorial, use a modified version of the AdventureWorks database. It contains only one table with just a few fields in it.

The easiest way to bind the Entity Framework model to the grid control is by using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. Invoke the grid control’s smart tag and click the Data Source Wizard.

Choose the Entity Framework technology and select the existing data connection or create a new one. In this tutorial, use the existing connection to the sample Microsoft AdventureWorksDW2008R2 database. Click Next to proceed.

Additional Information