Using Oracle and Visual Studio together?

It’s about to get a heck of a lot easier!

Both of what I’m about to discuss below are in beta, so please exercise your normal caution when using these tools.

• Oracle Data Access Components for EF and LINQ  - Access Oracle databases using Entity Framework and LINQ
• Toad Extension for Visual Studio - Oracle database change management in Visual Studio

Oracle Data Access Using Entity Framework and LINQ

A beta of Oracle Data Access Components (ODAC) for Microsoft Entity Framework and LINQ to Entities is now available on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). What is this? The ODAC for EF and LINQ is a set of components that bring Oracle data access into the folds of the Microsoft Entity Framework, Language Integrated Query (LINQ), and Model-First development.

If you’ve ever used the Entity Framework or LINQ, you can readily understand how productive these capabilities can be for a developer. Previously, EF and LINQ were not feasible with Oracle.

If you’re not familiar with EF, LINQ, or the concept of Model-First:

• The Microsoft Entity Framework (EF) abstracts the relational, logical database schema and presents a conceptual schema to the .NET application. It provides object-relational mapping for .NET developers.
• LINQ is a .NET data querying language which can query a multitude of data sources using common structured syntax.
• Model-First allows the conceptual model to be created first by the developer. Next, Visual Studio can create DDL scripts to generate the relational database model based on the conceptual model.

Get started today! Download the beta, and then walk through the tutorial.

Note: The beta includes the 32-bit Oracle Database client 11.2, which can access Oracle Database server 9.2 and higher. It requires Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.

Oracle Database Change Management with Toad Extension for Visual Studio

Speaking of Visual Studio, did you know our friends at Quest Software have been hard at work developing the Toad Extension for Visual Studio ? Toad Extension for Visual Studio is a database schema provider (DSP) for Oracle in Visual Studio 2010, and aims to give the full benefits of Visual Studio 2010’s database change management and development features to Oracle databases. This includesoffline database design, development and change management, better aligning your Oracle development with the rest of your organization’s application lifecycle management methodology.

How do you get started? Download the beta, watch a couple videos, and dive in!

Links & Additional Information