Programming · ADC-03-10

Data Access with EF Core, ADO.NET and LINQ

Data Access with EF Core, ADO.NET and LINQ is a course in writing database code on .NET 10 with ADO.NET, LINQ and EF Core 10, from code-first and database-first models to fast queries and a well-organised data layer. It suits C# and ASP.NET developers, and teams moving older data access code over to EF Core.

Updated 8 Oct 2026

From 10,350 THB / person 11,500 −10% excl. VAT 7% · group rates available

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PDFDownload the course outline

Duration18 hours · 3 days
FormatOnsite / live online
Next roundOn request
CertificateIncluded

Course overview

Almost every business application reads and writes a database. Many .NET developers still maintain code built on DataSets, older Entity Framework versions on .NET Framework or LINQ to SQL, which is no longer developed, while new systems use Entity Framework Core on current .NET. A solid understanding of ADO.NET, LINQ and EF Core helps you choose the right tool for each job, write fast queries and move older systems to the current platform with confidence.

This course teaches database programming on .NET 10. It starts with modern ADO.NET using Microsoft.Data.SqlClient and with LINQ, from the basics to new operators such as LeftJoin. It then goes deep into EF Core 10, covering code-first and database-first models, relationships, LINQ to Entities, change tracking, JSON columns on SQL Server 2025, named query filters, raw SQL and stored procedures. It continues with performance tuning, an N-tier data layer, use in an ASP.NET Core Web API, testing and deploying migrations, and closes with a workshop that moves older code to EF Core 10. (3 days, 6 hours per day, 18 hours in total, Intermediate level.)

What you’ll gain

Choose the right data access technology for the job among ADO.NET, Dapper and EF Core 10
Write safe ADO.NET code with Microsoft.Data.SqlClient using parameters and transactions
Write LINQ fluently in query and method syntax, including the new operators in .NET 10
Design data models with EF Core 10, both code first and database first
Write LINQ to Entities that translates into efficient SQL, and handle change tracking correctly
Use JSON columns, query filters, raw SQL and stored procedures with EF Core
Structure an N-tier data layer, use it in an ASP.NET Core Web API and deploy migrations

Who this course is for

C# developers who build applications or websites that work with databases
Developers maintaining systems on ADO.NET, Entity Framework 6 or LINQ to SQL who want to move to EF Core
ASP.NET developers who want a fast, maintainable data layer
System administrators and IT teams who need to read and improve database code
Tech leads who set data access and migration practices for their team

Prerequisites

C# programming, such as classes, methods, collections and basic async/await
Basic SQL such as SELECT, JOIN, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE
Some experience building ASP.NET websites or .NET applications
A laptop that can run the .NET 10 SDK and Docker Desktop, with permission to install software

Curriculum

Course Details

This course is the 2026 edition of Programming ADO.NET Entity Framework and LINQ, rewritten from scratch and updated for .NET 10 and EF Core 10. It runs for 3 days, 6 hours per day (18 hours in total, 09:00-16:00), as lectures with labs built on a single sample sales database throughout. Intermediate level. It focuses on the data layer, covering ADO.NET, LINQ and EF Core, plus how to move code from older Entity Framework versions. Every tool is free and every lab runs on the learner's own machine with Docker. Learners take home a lab guide, source code for every lab and the sample database with docker-compose files.

Day 1 ADO.NET, LINQ and Getting Started with EF Core 10

Section 1: Lab: Data Access in .NET 10 at a Glance

How the technology evolved: ADO.NET, Entity Framework 6, LINQ to SQL and EF Core
Choosing ADO.NET, Dapper or EF Core for the job at hand
Install the .NET 10 SDK, the dotnet-ef tool and an IDE
Run SQL Server 2025 Developer Edition with Docker
Lab: create the sample database and a console project for every lab

Section 2: Modern ADO.NET with Microsoft.Data.SqlClient

SqlConnection, SqlCommand and async DataReader
Parameterised queries and preventing SQL injection
Connection strings, encryption on by default and connection pooling
Transactions with SqlTransaction and error handling
Lab: write a class that reads and saves customer data with ADO.NET

Section 3: Lab: LINQ from the Basics to the New Operators

Query syntax compared with method syntax and lambda expressions
Where, Select, OrderBy, GroupBy, Join and aggregates
Deferred execution, and IEnumerable compared with IQueryable
New operators such as CountBy, AggregateBy and LeftJoin in .NET 10
Lab: analyse sales data with LINQ to Objects

Section 4: Lab: Getting Started with EF Core 10 Code First

DbContext, DbSet, entities and the conventions worth knowing
Defining the model with data annotations compared with the Fluent API
Creating and updating the database with migrations
Seeding initial data with UseSeeding
Lab: create the sales database from the model

Section 5: Database First with Scaffolding

Reverse engineer an existing database with dotnet ef dbcontext scaffold
Choose the tables you need and adjust class names and namespaces
Customise the generated code with partial classes and templates
When to use code first and when to use database first
Lab: scaffold a legacy database and write the first query

Day 2 Modelling and Querying with EF Core

Section 6: Relationships and Inheritance

One-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many
Foreign keys, navigation properties and delete behaviour
Owned types and complex types for values without their own identity
TPH, TPT and TPC inheritance and their trade-offs
Lab: model the relationships between customers, orders and products

Section 7: Lab: LINQ to Entities

How LINQ becomes SQL, and viewing the SQL with ToQueryString and logging
Include, ThenInclude and projection with Select
LeftJoin in EF Core 10, GroupBy and aggregates
Split queries and paging
Lab: sales reports by customer and product category

Section 8: Creating, Updating, Deleting and Change Tracking

Entity states and how SaveChanges works
AsNoTracking for read-only work
ExecuteUpdate and ExecuteDelete with ordinary lambdas in EF Core 10
Transactions and concurrency with row versions
Lab: reduce stock while preventing conflicting updates

Section 9: Advanced Mapping: JSON and Query Filters

Store complex types as JSON columns on the SQL Server 2025 json data type
Query data inside JSON with LINQ
Value converters and shadow properties
Named query filters for soft delete and multi-tenancy
Lab: store product attributes as JSON and hide deleted records

Section 10: Lab: Raw SQL, Stored Procedures and Dapper

FromSql and SqlQuery with safe parameters
ExecuteSql for commands that return no data
Calling stored procedures and views from EF Core
Using Dapper alongside EF Core for queries that must be very fast
Lab: a complex report with a stored procedure

Day 3 Performance, Structure and Real-World Use

Section 11: Lab: Tuning EF Core Performance

Detecting N+1 queries and fetching more data than needed
Creating indexes through migrations and reading SQL Server execution plans
DbContext pooling and compiled queries
Interceptors for logging slow queries
Lab: measure a report query before and after tuning

Section 12: Structuring an N-Tier Data Layer

Separating the data, service and presentation layers
When repositories and units of work help, given that DbContext already provides them
DTOs and mapping data between layers
Registering DbContext with dependency injection and context lifetimes
Lab: move the data layer into a reusable class library

Section 13: Lab: EF Core in an ASP.NET Core 10 Web API

Connect the data layer to a web API
CRUD endpoints with searching and paging
Handling database errors and concurrency in the API
Async queries throughout to support many users

Section 14: Testing and Deploying Migrations

Testing the data layer against a real database in Docker
Using SQLite or the in-memory provider for tests while knowing their limits
Idempotent SQL scripts and migration bundles
Safe ways to take migrations to production
Lab: deploy migrations with a bundle to a test database

Section 15: Workshop: Moving Legacy Code to EF Core 10

How to move code from ADO.NET, EF6 and LINQ to SQL to EF Core
Brief: rework the data layer of the sample system or one the learner chooses
Use an AI assistant to help convert code, and check the resulting SQL before using it
Present the work, review it together and wrap up with a data layer checklist

Schedule & training options

For individuals — public rounds

No public rounds are open right now. Join the waiting list and we will contact you first when the next round opens, or ask us on LINE. Or call 02-570-8449 or 088-807-9770

Join the waiting list Ask about rounds

For organisations — in-house / private

Tailor the content to your team’s tools and projects
Your dates, at your office or live online
Quotation with tax ID for procurement

Corporate training quote

Instructors

Sanitwong KamonpakornInstructor

Frequently asked questions

What is Entity Framework Core, and how does it differ from writing SQL yourself with ADO.NET?

EF Core is Microsoft's object-relational mapper. It maps database tables to classes so you read and change data through objects and LINQ, while the framework generates the SQL and tracks changes. With ADO.NET through Microsoft.Data.SqlClient you open the connection, write the SQL and read results from a DataReader yourself, which gives finer control but means more code. Real projects often use EF Core for most work and plain SQL or Dapper for queries that must be especially fast.

How does Code First data modelling differ from Database First?

With Code First you write the classes that represent your data and use EF Core migrations to create and update the database from them. With Database First you start from an existing database and run dotnet ef dbcontext scaffold to generate the classes and DbContext from its tables. EF Core no longer has the EDMX file and designer of older Entity Framework versions. Code First suits new systems managed in code; Database First suits databases that are already designed or owned by a DBA team.

How do you write a query with LINQ to Entities?

Create an EF Core DbContext and query the DbSet you need, either with query syntax such as from c in db.Customers where c.City == city select c, or with method syntax by chaining Where, OrderBy and Select. EF Core translates the query into SQL and sends it when you call ToListAsync or iterate the results. You can see the generated SQL with ToQueryString, and should use Select to fetch only the fields you need. EF Core 10 also supports LeftJoin for left joins directly.

Who is the Data Access with EF Core, ADO.NET and LINQ course for, and what should I know beforehand?

It suits C# and ASP.NET developers who build database-driven systems, teams maintaining systems on ADO.NET, Entity Framework 6 or LINQ to SQL, and system administrators who need to improve database code. You should be able to program in C#, write basic SQL and have some experience building ASP.NET websites or .NET applications.

What will I be able to do after the Data Access with EF Core, ADO.NET and LINQ course?

You will be able to write safe ADO.NET code with Microsoft.Data.SqlClient, use LINQ fluently, design EF Core 10 data models code first or database first, create, update and delete data with transactions and concurrency control, speed up queries, structure an N-tier data layer and deploy migrations. Participants who complete the training receive a Certificate of Completion with its own number, which can be verified online.

Can the Data Access with EF Core, ADO.NET and LINQ course be run in-house for our team?

Yes. It can be run in-house for your team, with examples adapted to your own work, such as scaffolding and modelling the database structure your team already uses, or planning how to move existing code to EF Core. You can request a quotation from this page, or contact us on LINE @itgenius or by phone on 02-570-8449.

Articles are published in Thai.