EF Core 11 Preview 3: Cheaper Change Tracking, Safer Migrations, and Cleaner SQL
EF Core 11 Preview 3 ships GetEntriesForState to bypass DetectChanges, ExcludeForeignKeyFromMigrations for cross-boundary relationships, migration tree divergence detection, and leaner join generation. It also bumps SqlClient to 7.0 and makes MigrationsNotFound throw by default.
Full-Text Search in EF Core 11: Ranked Results Without Leaving LINQ
EF Core 11 finally brings first-class full-text search support for SQL Server, including migration-managed catalogs and indexes, and FREETEXTTABLE/CONTAINSTABLE translation with ranking scores baked into your LINQ queries.
LeftJoin and RightJoin: The LINQ Operators That Should Have Existed From Day One
.NET 10 adds first-class LeftJoin and RightJoin methods to both System.Linq and EF Core 10, replacing the infamous GroupJoin-SelectMany-DefaultIfEmpty incantation with something you can actually read.
Named Query Filters in EF Core 10: The End of the Single-Filter Workaround
EF Core 10 finally lets you attach multiple named query filters to a single entity type and disable them selectively, replacing the awkward && chaining workaround that has haunted multi-concern filtering for years.
EF Core 11 Preview: One-Step Migrations, Full-Text Indexes, and the End of Sync I/O
EF Core 11 brings one-step migrations, managed full-text search indexes, complex types with TPT/TPC inheritance, MaxBy/MinBy translation, and a hard cut from synchronous Cosmos DB access. Here is what matters and what will break.
Vector Search in EF Core: From Exact Distance to Hybrid Search with SQL Server 2025
EF Core now supports native vector search against SQL Server 2025, from exact VECTOR_DISTANCE queries to approximate DiskANN-indexed VECTOR_SEARCH and hybrid search combining semantic and full-text results.
.NET 11 Preview 2: Runtime Async, Native OpenTelemetry, and AI-Ready EF Core
A practical walkthrough of the standout features in .NET 11 Preview 2, from runtime-native async and built-in OpenTelemetry tracing to vector search in EF Core and a resilient Kestrel parser.
PostgreSQL in .NET Aspire: From Container to DbContext
Wire up PostgreSQL with Entity Framework Core in Aspire, from AppHost container declaration to fully configured DbContext injection.
Connection Resiliency in EF Core: Surviving Transient Failures
How to configure EF Core's retry logic for transient database failures, including execution strategies, manual retries, and transaction handling.
EF Core Migrations Best Practices: From Development to Production
Practical strategies for managing EF Core migrations across teams, environments, and production deployments without losing data.
JSON Columns in EF Core: Storing Complex Objects as JSON
How to map complex .NET objects to JSON columns in EF Core 7+, enabling flexible schemas while keeping LINQ query support.
Temporal Tables in EF Core: Querying Data Through Time
How to configure and query SQL Server temporal tables in EF Core 6+ for point-in-time queries, audit trails, and historical data analysis.
Bulk Operations in EF Core: ExecuteUpdate, ExecuteDelete, and Beyond
How to perform efficient bulk updates and deletes in EF Core 7+ using ExecuteUpdate and ExecuteDelete, bypassing the change tracker.
EF Core Interceptors and Diagnostics: Hooking Into the Pipeline
How to use EF Core interceptors to modify commands, add logging, implement audit trails, and diagnose query performance issues.
Raw SQL in EF Core: FromSqlInterpolated and Beyond
When and how to use raw SQL in EF Core with FromSqlInterpolated, FromSqlRaw, and SqlQuery, while staying safe from SQL injection.
TPH vs TPT: Choosing an Inheritance Strategy in EF Core
A practical comparison of table-per-hierarchy and table-per-type inheritance mapping strategies in EF Core, with performance considerations.
Owned Entities vs Value Objects: Modelling DDD Concepts in EF Core
How to map domain-driven design value objects using EF Core's owned entity types, including single-table and table-splitting approaches.
Shadow Properties in EF Core: Database Columns Without CLR Properties
How to use EF Core shadow properties to add database columns that don't appear on your entity classes, keeping your domain model clean.
Global Query Filters: Automatic WHERE Clauses in EF Core
How to use EF Core's global query filters for soft deletes, multi-tenancy, and other cross-cutting data filtering concerns.
Query Splitting: Taming the Cartesian Explosion in EF Core
How EF Core's split queries prevent cartesian explosion when loading multiple related collections, and when to use them.
Change Tracking Deep Dive: How EF Core Knows What Changed
A deep dive into EF Core's change tracker, exploring how it detects modifications, the role of entity states, and strategies for optimising performance.