TL;DR

Entity Framework Core now supports binding to complex properties when using Cosmos DB, enabling more sophisticated data modeling and querying with that database (cloud database).

New

• Cosmos DB Complex Property Binding: Allows mapping to complex object properties within Cosmos DB documents.
• InMemoryTransaction Isolation Levels: Added overloads to InMemoryTransactionManager to control transaction isolation.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• LINQ Query Null Check: Resolved an optimization issue that could cause incorrect results for IQueryable and DbSet types in LINQ queries. This improves the reliability of data retrieval.
• MinBy Method: Added the MinBy method to allow for more flexible querying.

Before You Upgrade

No specific upgrade steps are required for this release.

TL;DR

This release improves Entity Framework Core’s stability and correctness when working with complex collections and queries, resolving several potential exceptions and incorrect SQL generation.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Fixed an ArgumentOutOfRangeException when deleting from complex collections with nested collections.
• Corrected issues with projecting entities containing complex collections using subqueries.
• Resolved an InvalidCastException when using nested nullable complex properties.
• Fixed incorrect SQL parameter names when using switch/case pattern matching (advanced C# feature).
• Improved ExecuteUpdate functionality for scalar projections.
• Fixed issues with named query filter conventions.

Before You Upgrade

Ensure your .NET version is compatible with Entity Framework Core 10.0.8 to avoid dependency conflicts.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core 9.0.16 is a maintenance release updating dependencies and branding to align with .NET 9.0.16.

Before You Upgrade

Update your .NET SDK to version 9.0.16 to ensure compatibility.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core 8.0 has been updated with dependency and branding updates for .NET 8.0.27.

Fixes Worth Knowing

No user-facing fixes are included in this release.

Before You Upgrade

Update your .NET SDK to version 8.0.27 to ensure compatibility.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core gains enhanced JSON support, enabling more complex queries and updates against databases like SQL Server and Cosmos DB, alongside numerous stability and performance improvements.

Breaking

None

New

• Improved JSON Support: Expanded capabilities for querying and updating JSON data, including support for arbitrary values and complex types.
• SQLite AUTOINCREMENT: AUTOINCREMENT is now first-class, improving reliability and reducing false warnings.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Cosmos DB query execution now uses ExecutionStrategy for improved resilience.
• Resolved issues with complex types and collections in migrations and model snapshots.
• Fixed potential concurrency issues in connection handling.

Before You Upgrade

• Review any custom code relying on specific JSON behavior, as the new features may alter query plans.
• If using SQLite, test applications thoroughly to ensure compatibility with the improved AUTOINCREMENT handling.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core 6 has been updated with dependency and branding updates for continued stability and security.

Breaking

None

New

None

Fixes Worth Knowing

None

Before You Upgrade

Ensure your project targets .NET 6.0.36 to benefit from the latest dependency updates.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core now fully supports .NET 9, enabling performance improvements and access to new language features.

Breaking

None

New

None

Fixes Worth Knowing

None

Before You Upgrade

Ensure your project targets .NET 9.0 RC 2 or later to utilize these changes.

TL;DR

EF Core 7.0 is no longer supported; upgrade to a current version (EF Core 8) for continued security and bug fixes.

Breaking

• None

New

None

Fixes Worth Knowing

None

Before You Upgrade

Plan a migration to EF Core 8 or a later supported version to ensure continued support and access to new features.

TL;DR

EF Core 8 introduces significant JSON support, enabling querying and storage of JSON data directly within relational databases, including support for collections of primitive types.

Breaking

None

New

• JSON Support: Query and manipulate JSON data within your database models.
• DateOnly/TimeOnly: Native support for the new .NET DateOnly and TimeOnly structs (data types).
• Compiled Models: Generate pre-compiled models for improved performance.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Improved performance for IN clause queries in SQL Server.
• Enhanced handling of non-nullable, store-generated properties.
• Lazy loading now works with no-tracking queries.

Before You Upgrade

• Review the extensive list of changes on the EF Core GitHub issues page to identify potential impacts on your application.
• Test thoroughly, especially if you are using JSON columns or rely on specific query patterns.

TL;DR

This release updates Entity Framework Core (data access technology) dependencies to the latest versions, improving security and stability.

Breaking

None

New

None

Fixes Worth Knowing

None

Before You Upgrade

No specific action is required; this is a dependency update and should integrate seamlessly.

TL;DR

EF Core 7 introduces significant performance improvements and new features like bulk updates/deletes (ExecuteUpdate/ExecuteDelete) and reverse engineering of database schemas with code templates.

Breaking

None

New

• Bulk Updates/Deletes: New ExecuteUpdate and ExecuteDelete APIs allow efficient data modification without loading entities into memory.
• Reverse Engineering: Scaffolding tools can now generate code templates from existing databases, including IEntityTypeConfiguration classes.
• JSON Mapping: Map JSON values stored in the database directly to EF properties.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Improved support for trimming (reducing application size) in aggressive optimization scenarios.
• More robust handling of spatial data and aggregate functions in SQL translation.

Before You Upgrade

Consider testing with the daily builds instead of this RC2 release, as it contains known issues that will be addressed in the final GA release.

TL;DR

This release updates Entity Framework Core (data access technology) dependencies to the latest versions, improving security and stability.

Breaking

None

New

None

Fixes Worth Knowing

None

Before You Upgrade

Ensure your project targets .NET 5.0 or later to benefit from the updated dependencies.

TL;DR

EF Core 6.0 is now available as a Release Candidate, introducing significant improvements and new features, especially for Cosmos DB and SQL Server, alongside general performance enhancements.

Breaking

None

New

• Column Ordering: Define column order in tables using [ColumnAttribute.Order].
• Cosmos DB Support: Expanded Cosmos DB support including collections, dictionaries, distinct operators, and throughput configuration.
• Migrations Bundles: Group multiple migrations into a single deployable unit.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Improved performance for common scenarios like TechEmpower Fortunes benchmark.
• Better logging of SQL commands and parameter values for easier debugging.
• Support for DateOnly and TimeOnly structs in SQLite.

Before You Upgrade

Review the complete list of changes at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/what-is-new/ef-core-6.0/whatsnew before upgrading to understand potential impacts to your application.

TL;DR

EF Core 5.0 introduces significant performance improvements and new features like many-to-many relationships and flexible query mapping, fundamentally changing how you interact with your data.

Breaking

None

New

• Many-to-many relationships: Simplified configuration and querying of many-to-many relationships.
• Flexible query/update mapping: Map queries and updates to different entity types.
• Improved Cosmos DB support: Enhanced query translation and optimistic concurrency with ETags.

Fixes Worth Knowing

Numerous bug fixes across all preview releases improving stability and query translation, particularly for Cosmos DB and SQL Server.

Before You Upgrade

Ensure your project targets .NET 5.0 and review the documentation for changes to migrations and scaffolding, as command-line parameters have been updated.

TL;DR

This release is obsolete; upgrade to the latest generally available (GA) version of Entity Framework Core 3.1 to receive continued support and bug fixes.

Breaking

None

New

None

Fixes Worth Knowing

None

Before You Upgrade

Migrate to the latest GA release of Entity Framework Core 3.1 for stability and ongoing support. Do not use this preview build in production.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core now supports spatial data types, enabling querying and storage of geographic information (like locations and geometries).

Breaking

None

New

Spatial data type support allows developers to work with geographic data directly within their .NET applications.

Fixes Worth Knowing

None

Before You Upgrade

Review documentation for spatial type mapping and querying to leverage the new functionality.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core 2.2 improves query performance with compiled queries, allowing for faster repeated database interactions.

Breaking

None

New

• Compiled Queries: Cache frequently executed queries for significant performance gains.
• Cosmos DB Support: Added initial support for Microsoft’s globally distributed database service (cloud database).

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Fixed issues with nullable column handling in certain database providers.
• Resolved problems with DateTimeOffset conversions in some scenarios.

Before You Upgrade

Review your existing queries to identify candidates for compilation to maximize performance improvements.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core now supports data seeding for in-memory databases and offers improved performance and query translation, particularly for complex queries and date/time operations.

Breaking

• None

New

• Data Seeding for InMemory: You can now seed data directly into in-memory databases, useful for testing.
• Precision and Scale on Type Mappings: Allows more control over database column definitions.
• Lazy Loading: Navigation properties can now be loaded on demand, improving performance in some scenarios.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Numerous query translation issues have been resolved, improving performance and correctness for complex queries involving joins, grouping, and filtering.
• Fixed issues with migrations, including incorrect code generation and errors during snapshot creation.
• Resolved several bugs related to owned entities and shadow properties.

Before You Upgrade

• Review any custom query translations, as improvements in the core query translator may alter behavior.
• If using enums stored as strings, verify length specifications are correctly configured.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core now correctly handles complex queries and migrations, resolving issues introduced in the previous release and improving stability for developers using advanced LINQ (Language Integrated Query).

Breaking

None

New

None

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Correctly resolves issues with complex queries involving nested objects.
• Fixes a regression where multi-part identifiers in queries were not being bound correctly.
• Ensures DbContextOptions are correctly used during migrations.

Before You Upgrade

Review any custom migrations and ensure they build successfully after upgrading.

TL;DR

Entity Framework Core received a massive update adding support for memory-optimized tables in SQL Server, improved migrations (detecting renamed properties and verbose logging), and a new command-line interface (dotnet-ef).

Breaking

• Provider-specific code may require updates due to changes in relational command methods.
• Some existing provider implementations (like Npgsql 1.0) may be incompatible and require upgrades.

New

• dotnet-ef command-line tools: A new suite of tools for database tasks.
• Memory-optimized tables: Support for using memory-optimized tables in SQL Server for improved performance.
• Flexible Execution Strategy: More control over how EF Core handles transient database errors.

Fixes Worth Knowing

• Numerous query translation and performance issues were resolved, addressing problems with joins, Contains, OrderBy, Skip/Take, and navigation properties.
• Fixes for migration generation errors, especially around renaming columns and tables.
• Resolved issues with DateTime handling and string comparisons.

Before You Upgrade

• Ensure your database providers are compatible with the latest EF Core changes.
• Test your existing queries thoroughly, as many query-related bugs were fixed, potentially changing behavior