ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview

The ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview is a robust program by Microsoft that falls under the Development Tools category and specifically the IDE subcategory. The latest version of this insightful development tool is 1.0. Although it is a preview release, the ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview offers a glimpse into its ADO.NET Entity Designer, aiding users to visually design data models and mappings using Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2.

One of the standout features of this tool is its ability to generate a model from a database via a wizard, which subsequently gets displayed on the designer surface. This visual aspect can significantly accelerate the workflow for developers focusing on data-centric applications. Furthermore, users can validate their models and mappings using the Entity Framework Runtime, ensuring that the design aligns with runtime expectations.

As it stands, this version is limited in functionality and only supports a subset of the ADO.NET Entity Framework capabilities. The tool requires Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 for optimal performance, and users may refer to the ReadMe.htm for a comprehensive list of known issues in this CTP.

Strengths of ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview include its ability to visually design models, making the development process more intuitive. However, the fact that it is a preview with limited functionality should be kept in mind. This means that while it provides valuable insights, it may not cover all scenarios or serve as a final product for production use. More

You may want to check out more software, such as Attunity ADO.NET Data Provider, RSSBus ADO.NET Provider for Excel or RSSBus ADO.NET Provider for QuickBooks, which might be similar to ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview.