ADO.NET Entity Framework Readme

ADO.NET Entity Framework Beta 2 and ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools CTP 1

Visit the ADO.NET forum for questions and discussions about the ADO.NET Entity Framework. See the ADO.NET team blog for articles and more in-depth information. We have published our samples on CodePlex.

This release contains updates to the ADO.NET Entity Framework since the June CTP release and introduces the first CTP of the ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools. See the ADO.NET team blog for more details about these features.

1. System Requirements

1.1 Supported Architectures

Entity Framework

Entity Framework Tools

1.2 Supported Operating Systems

Entity Framework

Entity Framework Tools

1.3 Hardware Requirements

The hardware requirements are the same as those for Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2. See the Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Readme for more details.

2. Known Issues

2.1 Installing

2.1.1. Uninstall previous versions of the ADO.NET Entity Framework, Visual Studio 2008, and .NET Framework 3.5

You must uninstall any previous pre-release versions of the ADO.NET Entity Framework including the June CTP. Then follow the directions on the Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Readme or the .NET Framework 3.5 Beta 2 Readme to uninstall previous pre-release versions of these products.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.1.2 Installation of the Entity Framework and Entity Framework tools requires administrative privileges.

To resolve this issue:

Log into the computer as a user with Administrator privileges or agree to the UAC elevation prompt on Windows Vista.

2.1.3 Installing the 32-bit version of the Entity Framework on 64-bit operating systems is not supported

To resolve this issue:

Use the 64-bit Entity Framework runtime installer on 64-bit machines and use the 32-bit Entity Framework runtime installer on 32-bit machines.

2.1.4 Installing the 32-bit version of the Entity Framework Tools on 64-bit operating systems is not supported

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.1.5 No repair option in Add/Remove Programs

There is no repair option for the ADO.NET Entity Framework or the ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview in Add/Remove Programs.

To resolve this issue:

In order to repair an installation of the ADO.NET Entity Framework or the ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview, you have two options: (1) re-run the original installer and choose the Repair option in the UI; (2) uninstall ADO.NET Entity Framework or ADO.NET Entity Framework Tools Preview from Add/Remove Programs and then re-install the software.

2.2 Entity Framework Product Issues

2.2.1 Relationship span does not include sub-types

Relationship span does not include sub-types.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.2.2 It is not possible to map columns whose names start with a number.

It is not possible to map columns whose names start with a number.

To resolve this issue:

Create a defining query in SSDL to rename the column so that its name does not start with a number. See the help topic "DefiningQuery" in the ADO.NET Entity Framework documentation for more information.

2.2.3 DataBinding an ObjectQuery<T> with a single projection in ASP.Net grid doesn't work

DataBinding an ObjectQuery<T> with a single projection in ASP.Net grid throws an exception.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.2.4 Query pipeline uses CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY on providers that do not support these operators

In some cases, usually for queries that have correlated subqueries, the query pipeline might produce an output query that contains the CROSS APPLY or OUTER APPLY operators. Some backend providers, including versions of SQL Server earlier than SQL Server 2005, do not support these operators and cannot run the queries. Following are typical scenarios that may lead to CROSS APPLY and/or OUTER APPLY operators in the output query:

To resolve this issue:

Avoid the scenarios described above or use a database server that supports the CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY operators.

2.3 Entity Framework Tools Product Issues

2.3.1 Designer does not launch after the wizard generates the model from a database

The designer does not launch after the wizard generates the model from a database.

To resolve this issue:

Double-click on the .edmx file in Solution Explorer to launch the designer.

2.3.2 Visual Studio displays the error message "Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt" for diagrams with many shapes and connectors

This is an intermittent issue with the designer when creating 20 or more shapes and 20 or more connectors from the toolbox in a blank model.

To resolve this issue:

Close and restart Visual Studio.

2.3.3 Undo list has multiple entries for a single operation

In this CTP, the designer creates more undo/redo units than expected for create, delete, and update operations.

To resolve this issue:

Choose undo or redo as needed: sometimes this will be more than once even though you have only performed one action in the designer.

2.3.4 Cannot map entities to stored procedures

Although the wizard includes stored procedures when a model is generated from a database, CTP1 does not support mapping an entity to a stored procedure.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.3.5 Designer (.edmx) files excluded from the project still build

Users can exclude .edmx files from a project (for example, from the context menu in Solution Explorer). However, there is a known issue where the designer still validates and builds excluded .edmx files.

To resolve this issue:

Close and restart Visual Studio.

2.3.6 Property window is missing many properties

When a scalar property in an entity is selected, the Visual Studio property window does not show properties like Concurrency Mode, Documentation, Getter, and Setter.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.3.7 Wizard does not enable MARS when connecting to SQL Server 2005

The Wizard does not enable Multiple Active Result Sets when connecting to SQL Server 2005

To resolve this issue:

Manually edit the entity connection string in App.Config or Web.Config and set MultipleActiveResultSets=true.

2.3.8 Double-clicking on errors in the Visual Studio error list does not work

Double-click navigation on errors in the Visual Studio error list does not work in all cases.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.3.9 Generating a model from a database with a table, view, or column whose name is a number causes errors

The wizard reports errors in the Visual Studio error window when generating a model from a database that has tables, views, or columns that only have numbers as their names.

To resolve this issue:

Rename the table, view, or column so that it does not start with a number.

2.3.10 Cannot create hybrid TPT/TPH mappings

The designer removes keys that are mapped by subtypes. This prevents mapping part of a single entity hierarchy using TPH (horizontal partitioning) and another using TPT (vertical partitioning).

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.3.11 Issue with TPH mapping

Cannot map entity hierarchies that are more than two levels deep using the same condition column. For example, trying to map types A, B:A, and C:B using the same condition column as a discriminator will fail.

To resolve this issue:

If it is possible, use a different condition column for C.

For example:

Type A is mapped if column d1 = "A"
Type B is mapped if column d1 = "B"
Type C is mapped if column d2 = "C" (and, by implication, column d1="B")

Deeper TPH hierarchy mappings will still be problematic in CTP1. Note: For these mappings to work, make sure that database columns used as discriminators are nullable.

2.3.12 Editing .edmx file in the XML Editor is not supported

It is possible to open an .edmx file in the XML Editor by right-clicking on it in Solution Explorer and choosing "Open With..." and XML Editor. However, editing .edmx files in the XML Editor is not supported.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.3.13 XSD validation messages after launching designer

Opening .edmx files to launch the designer causes several XSD validation messages in the Visual Studio message window pertaining to missing schema information for 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/06/edmx:Edmx'

To resolve this issue:

These can be ignored.

2.3.14 F1 help does not work

Pressing F1 in the designer does not launch help.

To resolve this issue:

Manually launch the Tools help file available from "Start -> All Programs -> ADO.NET Entity Framework Preview"

2.3.15 Text on connectors and shapes does not repaint correctly

There is a known repainting issue with text decorators on connectors and icons in shapes. For example, changing an association's multiplicity in the Visual Studio Property window does not update the text on the connector on the designer surface.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.3.16 Unable to enter spaces in condition values

When typing in the value of a table mapping condition, pressing the space bar will cause focus to be lost on the condition value textbox.

To resolve this issue:

Copy and paste the desired value into the textbox.

2.3.17 The Entity Mapping Details window occasionally goes blank

The Entity Mapping Details window will occasionally lose track of the selection and will revert to showing the watermark.

To resolve this issue:

Select a different object, or click on an empty area of the diagram, then click on the Entity or Association again.

2.3.18 "Empty Model" in the wizard is not fully implemented

The "Empty Model" functionality is not fully implemented in this CTP. While you can still visually design the conceptual model, you will not be able to map to a storage model.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

2.3.19 In some cases, referential constraints are not created correctly

The designer may not always pick the correct principal when automatically creating referential constraints for 1:1 associations. This is for manually created associations, not those created through the wizard. These referential constraints are only necessary when the primary key of one of the entities is also used as a foreign key in the relationship.

To resolve this issue:

No workaround is available.

3. Related Links

3.1 .NET Framework Readme

3.2 Visual Studio Readme

3.3 Visual Studio Express Edition Readme

3.4 Visual Studio Team Foundation Server Readme

3.5 MSDN Library for Visual Studio Readme

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