Create - (EF CRUD Operations)

Entity Framework (EF) is a popular Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) tool used to interact with databases in .NET applications. One of the basic operations performed with EF is Create. In this tutorial, we'll discuss how to perform the Create operation using EF.

Syntax

The syntax for Create in EF is as follows:

using (var context = new MyContext())
{
    var entity = new MyEntity { /* set entity properties */ };

    context.MyEntities.Add(entity);

    context.SaveChanges();
}

Example

Let's consider an example where we create a new customer record in a database using EF. First, we need to create a customer model:

public class Customer
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Email { get; set; }
    public string Phone { get; set; }
}

Next, we create a context class that represents our database:

public class MyContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Customer> Customers { get; set; }
}

Finally, we can create and add a new customer record to the database as follows:

using (var context = new MyContext())
{
    var customer = new Customer
    {
        Name = "John Smith",
        Email = "john@example.com",
        Phone = "555-555-5555"
    };

    context.Customers.Add(customer);

    context.SaveChanges();
}

This code creates a new Customer object, sets its Name, Email, and Phone properties, adds it to the Customers table in the database, and saves the changes.

Explanation

Creating a new record in the database involves creating a new object of the model class, setting its properties, adding it to the appropriate table in the database using the Add() method of the DbSet property in the context class, and saving the changes using the SaveChanges() method of the context class.

Use

Create operation is used when you need to add new records to the database.

Important Points

Here are some important points to keep in mind when performing the Create operation with EF:

• Creating a new record in the database involves creating a new object of the model class, setting its properties, adding it to the appropriate table in the database using the Add() method of the DbSet property in the context class, and saving the changes using the SaveChanges() method of the context class.
• The SaveChanges() method should be called in a try-catch block because it can throw an exception if there is a problem with the database.
• Always remember to dispose of the context when you're done with it.

Summary

In this tutorial, we discussed the Create operation in EF, which involves creating a new object, setting its properties, adding it to the context, and saving the changes to the database. We covered syntax, example, explanation, use, and important points of the Create operation. By understanding how to perform Create operation using EF, you can easily add new records to the database.