Entity Framework Best Practices For Entity Framework (Simple & Professional) 1- Entity Framework @ Data layer (Basics)

Example

In this article we will use a simple database called “Company” with two tables:

[dbo].[Categories]([CategoryID], [CategoryName])

[dbo].[Products]([ProductID], [CategoryID], [ProductName])

1-1 Generate Entity Framework code

In this layer we generate the Entity Framework code (in project library) (see this article in how can you do that) then you will have the following classes

public partial class CompanyContext : DbContext
public partial class Product
public partial class Category

1-2 Create basic Interface

We will create one interface for our basics functions

public interface IDbRepository : IDisposable
{
    #region Tables and Views functions

    IQueryable<TResult> GetAll<TResult>(bool noTracking = true) where TResult : class;
    TEntity Add<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class;
    TEntity Delete<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class;
    TEntity Attach<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class;
    TEntity AttachIfNot<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class;

    #endregion Tables and Views functions

    #region Transactions Functions

    int Commit();
    Task<int> CommitAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken));

    #endregion Transactions Functions

    #region Database Procedures and Functions

    TResult Execute<TResult>(string functionName, params object[] parameters);

    #endregion Database Procedures and Functions
}

1-3 Implementing basic Interface

/// <summary>
/// Implementing basic tables, views, procedures, functions, and transaction functions
/// Select (GetAll), Insert (Add), Delete, and Attach
/// No Edit (Modify) function (can modify attached entity without function call)
/// Executes database procedures or functions (Execute)
/// Transaction functions (Commit)
/// More functions can be added if needed
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="TEntity">Entity Framework table or view</typeparam>
public class DbRepository : IDbRepository
{
    #region Protected Members

    protected DbContext _dbContext;

    #endregion Protected Members

    #region Constractors

    /// <summary>
    /// Repository constructor 
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="dbContext">Entity framework databse context</param>
    public DbRepository(DbContext dbContext)
    {
        _dbContext = dbContext;

        ConfigureContext();
    }

    #endregion Constractors

    #region IRepository Implementation

    #region Tables and Views functions

    /// <summary>
    /// Query all
    /// Set noTracking to true for selecting only (read-only queries)
    /// Set noTracking to false for insert, update, or delete after select
    /// </summary>
    public virtual IQueryable<TResult> GetAll<TResult>(bool noTracking = true) where TResult : class
    {
        var entityDbSet = GetDbSet<TResult>();

        if (noTracking)
            return entityDbSet.AsNoTracking();

        return entityDbSet;
    }

    public virtual TEntity Add<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class
    {
        return GetDbSet<TEntity>().Add(entity);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Delete loaded (attached) or unloaded (Detached) entitiy
    /// No need to load object to delete it
    /// Create new object of TEntity and set the id then call Delete function
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="entity">TEntity</param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    public virtual TEntity Delete<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class
    {
        if (_dbContext.Entry(entity).State == EntityState.Detached)
        {
            _dbContext.Entry(entity).State = EntityState.Deleted;
            return entity;
        }
        else
            return GetDbSet<TEntity>().Remove(entity);
    }

    public virtual TEntity Attach<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class
    {
        return GetDbSet<TEntity>().Attach(entity);
    }

    public virtual TEntity AttachIfNot<TEntity>(TEntity entity) where TEntity : class
    {
        if (_dbContext.Entry(entity).State == EntityState.Detached)
            return Attach(entity);

        return entity;
    }

    #endregion Tables and Views functions

    #region Transactions Functions

    /// <summary>
    /// Saves all changes made in this context to the underlying database.
    /// </summary>
    /// <returns>The number of objects written to the underlying database.</returns>
    public virtual int Commit()
    {
        return _dbContext.SaveChanges();
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Asynchronously saves all changes made in this context to the underlying database.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="cancellationToken">A System.Threading.CancellationToken to observe while waiting for the task to complete.</param>
    /// <returns>A task that represents the asynchronous save operation.  The task result contains the number of objects written to the underlying database.</returns>
    public virtual Task<int> CommitAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken))
    {
        return _dbContext.SaveChangesAsync(cancellationToken);
    }

    #endregion Transactions Functions

    #region Database Procedures and Functions

    /// <summary>
    /// Executes any function in the context
    /// use to call database procesdures and functions
    /// </summary>>
    /// <typeparam name="TResult">return function type</typeparam>
    /// <param name="functionName">context function name</param>
    /// <param name="parameters">context function parameters in same order</param>
    public virtual TResult Execute<TResult>(string functionName, params object[] parameters)
    {
        MethodInfo method = _dbContext.GetType().GetMethod(functionName);

        return (TResult)method.Invoke(_dbContext, parameters);
    }

    #endregion Database Procedures and Functions

    #endregion IRepository Implementation

    #region IDisposable Implementation

    public void Dispose()
    {
        _dbContext.Dispose();
    }

    #endregion IDisposable Implementation

    #region Protected Functions

    /// <summary>
    /// Set Context Configuration
    /// </summary>
    protected virtual void ConfigureContext()
    {
        // set your recommended Context Configuration
        _dbContext.Configuration.LazyLoadingEnabled = false;
    }

    #endregion Protected Functions

    #region Private Functions

    private DbSet<TEntity> GetDbSet<TEntity>() where TEntity : class
    {
        return _dbContext.Set<TEntity>();
    }

    #endregion Private Functions

}