Using Entity Framework classes without database connection

Question

I have a strange situation. I have created a data model visually and generated a database from it. This project is referenced by two projects:

ASP .NET application.
WinForms application.

The ASP .NET application deals directly with the database while I need the WinForms application to interact with the database via the Web application.

I have created a page called API.aspx and use HTTP POST to send values and get results in XML.

However, since the WinForms application still needs to use the data model classes, I am running into issues using them without creating a database object.

What is a good strategy to use in this scenario?

Justin Pihony · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-23 16:49:44Z

2

If you have implemented your code with loose coupling (See the Repository Pattern), then you could create a database stub that will return dummy data (or in memory data) until you are ready to plug in the actual EF framework.

This is generally good practice to create a clean separation of concerns.

edited Apr 23, 2012 at 16:49

answered Apr 23, 2012 at 14:26

Justin Pihony

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4 Comments

Raheel Khan Over a year ago

Does EF offer any built-in tools for such scenarios? I am trying to look at code-first to see if that gives me more flexibility with handling of classes in the context of a database or just in memory.

Justin Pihony Over a year ago

@RaheelKhan No, this scenario actually abstracts the ORM away. However, you could use the POCO's outside the context if you really wanted. The problem would only come at the points that you want to interact with the db...Here is an article I found in a quick google about mocking EF contexts: nogginbox.co.uk/blog/mocking-entity-framework-data-context

Justin Pihony Over a year ago

To the anonymous downvoter. Could you please explain what you do not like so that I can adapt my answer appropriately?

Mark Willsher Over a year ago

Hi Justin, sorry - I don't even remember looking at this question earlier - I can only guess that I touched the downvote accidentally when viewing the site on my iPad. Can you edit your answer somehow so that I can remove the downvote. Really sorry about that.

Brian Mains · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-23 16:55:17Z

0

This sounds like a candidate for an SOA implementation, rather than having the windows forms app communicate directly with the web application:

answered Apr 23, 2012 at 16:55

Brian Mains

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2 Comments

Raheel Khan Over a year ago

Yes I agree, but that abstraction can be done at a later stage. This is a prototype.

Raheel Khan Over a year ago

Plus I need to support an offline mode as well in the desktop application.

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