Description

This extension provides support for Entity Framework. The calculation of Automated Function Points for your .NET analyses will be supplemented through the creation of new objects and links specific to Entity Framework framework that will link back to objects/links produced by the base .NET analyzer.

In what situation should you install this extension?

If your .NET application contains Entity Framework source code and you want to view these object types and their links, then you should install this extension. More specifically the extension will identify:

• "use" links from Entity Framework objects to participating Database tables
• "rely on" links from C#/VB.NET Classes to Entity Wrapper objects

Entity Framework support

Entity Framework is delivered with the .NET Framework. Therefore the following .NET frameworks are supported by this extension:

Version	Supported
3.0 and above

Function Point, Quality and Sizing support

This extension provides the following support:

• Function Points (transactions): a green tick indicates that OMG Function Point counting and Transaction Risk Index are supported
• Quality and Sizing: a green tick indicates that CAST can measure size and that a minimum set of Quality Rules exist

Function Points (transactions)	Quality and Sizing

CAST AIP compatibility

This extension is compatible with:

CAST AIP release	Supported	Supported Technology
8.3.x		C# and VB.NET
8.2.x		C# and VB.NET

Supported DBMS servers

This extension is compatible with the following DBMS servers:

DBMS	Supported
CSS/PostgreSQL
Oracle
Microsoft SQL Server

Prerequisites

An installation of any compatible release of CAST AIP (see table above)

Bug Fix List

Please see Entity Framework 1.0 - Bug Fix List.

Download and installation instructions

Include the extension using the interface in AIP Console:

There is nothing further to do. Follow the instructions below to run a new analysis/snapshot to generate new results:

• Modern application onboarding - run the initial deep analysis
• Legacy application onboarding - Step-by-step onboarding - Run the analysis

What results can you expect?

Once the analysis/snapshot generation has completed, you can view the results in the normal manner. The following objects and links will be displayed in CAST Enlighten:

Objects

Icon	Object type
	Entity Wrapper
	Conceptual Model
	Conceptual Class
	Conceptual Property
	Database Object
	Mapping Model
	Mapping Class
	Mapping Property
	Storage Model
	Storage Model Table
	Storage Model Property

Links

Source	Link type	Target	Example
Public C#/VB.NET class	Rely on	Entity object	Because CAST cannot be absolutely certain that the C#/VB.NET class is "entity associated", these rely-on links will always be flagged as "dynamic" and will therefore always appear in the Dynamic Link Manager for review.
Entity object	Use	Database table
Class property get/set	Call	Conceptual property
Conceptual property	Call	Storage Model Property
Storage Model Property	Use	Database table

Limitations

In this section we list the most significant functional limitations that may affect the analysis of applications using Entity Framework:

• Analyzing the participating database tables is mandatory for the extension to work correctly.
• No support for links between LINQ and SQL objects
• Entity Framework objects are not correctly presented in the CAST Engineering Dashboard.
• Enum Collections are not supported.
• DBContexts are not supported.
• Not all Entity Framework and Entity Core namespaces are supported and the analysis log may contain warning about these missing namespaces.