Entity Framework: Usage Patterns

Database First

• Use EF Designer to reverse engineer a database into a model (code classes).
• Use the Designer to keep the model in sync with the database.
• Visually change mapping, and other properties

Model First

• Start with a blank model in the Entity Framework Designer
• Build out the model and generate the POCO classes and database from generated code

Code First

• Start coding your own classes. (Or to expedite use Entity Framework Power Tools to generate classes from an existing db.)
• Db scripts can be generated from these classes with EF tools

Code and Database Separate

• No EF designer is involved
• Database: Design your database independently as usual
• Code: Create POCO classes to interact with the database
• See: Entity Framework: Code and Database Separate Approach