Code First Approach With CRUD Operation In Entity Framework In MVC - Part Four

In the previous article, I have explained how to implement a code first approach when we have an existing database. Now, I will explain how to implement a code first approach when we don’t have an existing database. Let‘s see step by step how to implement it.

See the previous articles for basic details.

• Entity Framework in MVC - Part One
• Entity Framework in MVC - Part Two
• Entity Framework in MVC - Part Three

Step 1

Open Visual Studio >> File >> Project >> Web application >> choose MVC >> OK.

After opening the project, first, we have to create a domain class.

Right-click on Models folder and add a class like below. I am adding an Employee class.

Step 2

Now, I am going to add a DbContext class. For that, right-click the Models folder and add a class and give the name EmpDataContext:DbContext.

Step 3

Now, we have to add a Controller. Go to Controllers folder and add a controller.

When we add a controller, in this controller an Index Action method is automatically created. We can change it to a user-friendly method name. Now, create the object of your Dbcontext class and write the logic for retrieval of the data.

After that, add a View for displaying the employee records. Right-click on action method and add a View.

Step 4

Now, before the retrieval of data, we have to set our connection string in web.confifile.

Now, set the connection string in DbContext class. If we don’t want to give manual connection string, then when running the project, it will automatically create the connection string with the same name as the class name of DbContext class. If we create manually, then we have to pass our Connection String name in base class parameter.

As we know, in this Code First approach when we will run the project, at that moment automatically, it will create the DataBase and the Table; table name will be same as our domain Class name; as below my class name is Employee. If we want to change the table name in a user-friendly name as “ TblEmployee”, then we can use Table class attribute. Also, we can set the Primary key in SQL table from our program by using the Key class attribute in “[ ]” bracteates.

For using this functionality, we have to import the namespace like below.

Step 5

Now, we will run the project and then check in SQL.

Step 6

Now, we will complete our CRUD operation using the Code First approach. So for that, we will add one Controller.

First, we will write the code for Create operation. For this, we have to create the action method for getting the request named as Create method.

Now, right-click on Create Action Method and add View.

And, after that, we will write HTML code like below.

Now, we will write the code for posting the details.

Now, run the project and insert the data.

After that, click on the Create button. Then we will write the code for retrieving the data.

Here, right click on the Action method “EmpDetails” and press Add View option. And write below html code,