Hello,

I have been using LINQ to SQL with VS 2008 and SQL 2005.

I downloaded the movie about Entity Framework in ASP.NET web site but it seems Entity Framework is also a SQL database mapping tool.

1. What are the differences between Entity Framework and Linq To SQL?

2. When should I use one or the other?

3. When will Entity Framework be released?

Thanks,

Miguel 

yes mate i think Entity Framework lets you to organize your relationships and make one big entity and than you can use that entity in the your asp.net code in different ways

you can make a svc (service) and use ado.net services to query the database async. etc.

hope if helps.

regards

I've been trying to find an answer to this question for days now. Here's what I found so far. 

Microsoft wants us to use the Entity Framework vs L2S.  But it's also been written that L2S is easier/faster to use and implement.  Then on the other side of the coin it's been written, by the same folks incidentally, that the L2S days are numbered and all the L2S functions will be part of the new Entity Framework release. 

 Long and short of it are the Entity Framework is more robust and is the way Microsoft is going.  Microsoft will continue to support L2S but will put more effort into the EF and the Linq to Sql will be retired.  The new term, I think, is LINQ to Entities (L2E).    

 Additionaly I found that the new .NET 4.0 will have lots of new Entity Framework features and functions. 

 I'm still evaluating these and I haven't come to a clear conclusion on which is better.  I have new applications that i'm working on and I'd really like to settle on the 'right' one.   I can't find much in the way that Microsoft plans for it's migration strategy  or what they suggest we should do in the short term. 

 I think L2S is still okay but L2E is the way to go mid to long term.   I think...

 If anyone else knows more about this please chime in.  This seems to be a real popular question these days.  

The entity framework is Microsoft's implementation of a full grown Object/Relation Mapper such as NHibernate already is.
Linq to SQL on the other hand may have some similarities, but is not recognized (and will never be) as a full o/r m tool. It is however a quick and easy way for accessing relational data in a much better way than the classic ado.net and can be very suitable in small projects or applications.
However, large enterprise applications where there are full grown domain models present may require a more mature o/r mapper.

That said, the EF is in its current release (.NET 3.5 sp1) still in its child shoes with a lot of crusial o/r m functionalities missing. But it looks very promissing for the 4.0 release.
Until then, I think you'd better invest a little in learning NHibernate for large projects or continue using Linq to SQL in smaller projects.

It is true that Microsoft will focus more their efforts on the EF and therefore I don't see a very large future for Linq to SQL. Though Linq stays to grow. Linq to Entities for example provides the linq query capabilities towards the objects (entities) used in the EF.

LINQ to SQL supports rapid development of applications that query Microsoft SQL Server databases using objects that map directly to SQL Server schemas. 

LINQ to Entities supports more flexible mapping of objects to Microsoft SQL Server and other relational databases through extended ADO.NET Data Providers

Pls Refer this

http://forums.asp.net/p/1435087/3230984.aspx#3230984

http://blogs.msdn.com/efdesign/