In the last chapter, we learned how we can get started using the ADO.NET Entity Framework. In this chapter, we will learn about the ADO.NET Entity Data Model and its components. The ADO.NET Entity Data Model is a conceptual model that can be used to design the data access layer of your application. We will revisit our Payroll Entity Data Model we created in the previous chapter and discuss each of the sections. Specifically, we will discuss the following points:
An understanding of the entities, entity types, and relationships in the ADO.NET Entity Data Model
An understanding of the Payroll Entity Data Model
We designed an EDM from our Payroll database in the previous chapter. In this chapter, we will discuss each of the sections of the EDM in detail. We will start our discussion with an understanding of entities and their relationships. We will then move ahead and discuss how they are mapped in the Entity Data Model using XML.