C#•11mo ago

✅ Why the need to create a database using EF core and not do it manually using SQL

Hello guys, I'm currently learning the EF core so that I can connect with my database using SQL Server. I have a question. I noticed that if we want to create a database using EF core, we need to create a dbContext, a specific instance, like a Student class with its properties etc. My question is, is all that required? Can't we not just use SQL statement to create all that using SQL Server? Isn't it easier? Or there is use cases of when we absolutely need to use C# code?

Angius•2/21/25, 7:47 PM

You need a way to create the queries somehow

mg•2/21/25, 7:48 PM

When you do code first like that, EF ultimately generates SQL code to create the database and tables for you

mg•2/21/25, 7:48 PM

SQL is always how you'll communicate with the database

Angius•2/21/25, 7:48 PM

If you don't have a PersonPerson with a name, you can't have a DbSet<Person>DbSet<Person> so you can't reference the table

mg•2/21/25, 7:48 PM

EF is a library provided to make working with it from C# easier

Angius•2/21/25, 7:48 PM

And you can't query by name with .Where(p => p.Name == name).Where(p => p.Name == name)

FFaker Hello guys, I'm currently learning the EF core so that I can connect with my dat...

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:48 PM

the entire point of ORMs like EF Core is so you can interact with the database using type-safe C# code, there is nothing stopping you from using raw SQL or something more minimal like dapper

TeBeCo•2/21/25, 7:48 PM

you can do everything manually and hope you don't make a typo or other mistake

TeBeCo•2/21/25, 7:49 PM

or have a tool making close to no mistake

AAngius You need a way to create the queries *somehow*

FakerOP•2/21/25, 7:49 PM

ah, we can't create the queries without the dbContext? (I haven't try it yet)

Angius•2/21/25, 7:49 PM

You can just rawdog SQL, but then there's no point using EF and you should just go with Dapper

mg•2/21/25, 7:49 PM

you can create a query however you want

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:49 PM

you can also go with Linq2DB if you want type-safe SQL without the change tracking and hand-holding that EF has

mg•2/21/25, 7:50 PM

select * from Persons

select * from Persons

done

TeBeCo•2/21/25, 7:50 PM

the question was about Creating the DB, not querying the DB

mg•2/21/25, 7:50 PM

EF also has methods like context.Database.SqlQuery()context.Database.SqlQuery() that allow you to write your own SQL and send it to the database

Angius•2/21/25, 7:50 PM

True

TeBeCo•2/21/25, 7:51 PM

anything touching the Schema, creating db / creating table / updating table schema
if you want to replicate everything manually and quadruple check for typo you can

or you can let efcore make it done properly

TeBeCo•2/21/25, 7:51 PM

simple

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:51 PM

if you really want you can create your database with raw SQL and scaffold a dbcontext from there, but if it's a new application then taking advantage of EF migrations is usually more convenient

TeBeCo•2/21/25, 7:51 PM

there's pro and con for both approach

Steve•2/21/25, 7:51 PM

EF is nice for migrations. Just run the migration to set up the database in a new environment. Boom. Now you don't have to go through the pain of manually running SQL commands

Mmg When you do code first like that, EF ultimately generates SQL code to create the...

FakerOP•2/21/25, 7:51 PM

I often saw the term "Code first approach"; this is when we use the dbContext to create the database schema ?

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:52 PM

yes

mg•2/21/25, 7:52 PM

yes

Steve•2/21/25, 7:52 PM

yes

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:52 PM

the opposite would be database first, using the database schema to create the dbcontext

FakerOP•2/21/25, 7:52 PM

ok ok starts to make sense, will continue to read 2sec

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:54 PM

code first you basically just change your C# models then tell EF "figure out what i changed and generate SQL to change the schema the same way"

FakerOP•2/21/25, 7:54 PM

yeah, this is where migrations and all came into play?

JJimmacle code first you basically just change your C# models then tell EF "figure out wha...

Steve•2/21/25, 7:54 PM

That is so helpful.

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:54 PM

until you have to write migrations by hand :when:

Sehra•2/21/25, 7:55 PM

you can also ask efcore to generate a sql script for you

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 7:55 PM

which you don't 99% of the time, but i happen to be doing that right now because EF doesn't support columnstore tables directly

AAngius You need a way to create the queries *somehow*

FakerOP•2/21/25, 7:59 PM

hmm the thing is, in order to create queries, we need to have a context?

mg•2/21/25, 7:59 PM

yeah i like EF because 99% of the time i can do things the EF way but then it also gives you escape hatches for the 1%

Angius•2/21/25, 7:59 PM

FakerOP•2/21/25, 7:59 PM

irrespective of whether we are using code first or we are scaffolding ?

Angius•2/21/25, 7:59 PM

When you scaffold, EF will generate the context from the database schema

Angius•2/21/25, 7:59 PM

And all the models

Angius•2/21/25, 7:59 PM

With code-first, it's the reverse

Angius•2/21/25, 8:00 PM

You create models and context, and EF creates he db schema

FakerOP•2/21/25, 8:00 PM

yeah I see

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 8:01 PM

with EF you always need a dbcontext, that's just how you use EF

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 8:01 PM

that object represents the database in your code

mg•2/21/25, 8:01 PM

it's worth noting that the whole point of using EF is to create queries and map their results for you. it's not so much that a context is required to write queries, it's that you're using EF to write queries for you

Jimmacle•2/21/25, 8:02 PM

i've been using EF primarily with linq2db on top for things EF doesn't support like merge queries

mg•2/21/25, 8:02 PM

even the term "writing queries" is a little ambiguous here because (most of the time) you won't be writing SQL, you'll be writing LINQ that EF turns into SQL

mg•2/21/25, 8:02 PM

i need to give linq2db another look

✅ Why the need to create a database using EF core and not do it manually using SQL

Similar Threads

Similar Threads

Similar Threads