CODEWITHSUNDEEP
entity-frameworkentity-framework-4entity-framework-4.1
Jatin
Jatin

Reputation: 4063

Confusion with Entity Framework versions

I am having hard time understanding the Entity Framework versions released by Microsoft. I have a base entity framework version of 4.1 which didn't support enums by itself. After the June 2011 CTP was released I was excited to use it so that I can get LINQ support for enums. So I planned to develop my application for the time being using enums support of June 2011 CTP, hoping that by the time my application was ready, the next version would appear and support enums. After June 2011 CTP, the Entity Framework 4.1 Update 1 was released which to my understanding doesn't support enums. After that version 4.2 appeared and I doubt again whether it supports enums. So being the first time that I am developing application using Microsoft technologies, I am a little confused. I have a couple of issues

  1. If CTP version is released, then shouldn't the next release be based on that rather than discontinuing what was supported earlier in the CTP as a major feature ?

  2. If I need to deploy my application(with EntityFramework June 2011 CTP) on a separate machine for testing, will I need to install anything extra for the Entity Framework June 2011 CTP version to work.

Please pardon me if I don't understand the versions of Entity Framework correctly. Also the first issue above may be my ignorance, but what I am primarily concerned with is the second issue.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 427

Answers (1)

Ladislav Mrnka
Ladislav Mrnka

Reputation: 364409

  1. No. CTP is preview of something that can be released. But when it will be released nobody knows. It even be never released or the final version doesn't have to include enums at all. Current CTP doesn't have go live licence so you can easily invest into development of something that would never reach production code.
  2. You will need .NET 4.0 and that CTP.

CTPs are only for previewing new API not for real development because any next CTP version or RTM version can introduce breaking changes or remove features previously available in CTP. In case of EF this already happened before releasing EF 4.1 where custom conventions were completely removed from RTM so it can happen again. In case of enums I somehow hope that support will be either completely redesigned or removed because current implementation is not sufficient.

Upvotes: 2

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