I am working on a project where we need to fetch data from a WCF service. The service code looks up the database thru the Entity Framework. However inorder to prevent sending down EF generated classes across the wire into the proxy generated by the client we have decided to map the values from the EF classes to custom built DTO classes, where the mapper class is responsible for picking out values from the EF generated classes and putting them into the DTO class. We then use those DTO classes for the service method's request and response. The EF builds classes from tables that are related to each other. I get various classes with properties that look something like these below:
public global::System.Data.Objects.DataClasses.EntityCollection<SubAttachment> Attachments
{}
public global::System.Data.Objects.DataClasses.EntityReference<Gl> GlCodeReference
{}
A few of the properties have the keyword Reference appended to them which I am guessing provides some way for the EF to look up the related table on that field.
Is there a better/different approach than this mapping approach if I dont want to send heavy EF classes across? If not, is there some reference material that will help me understand how the the classes are built by the Entity framework.
Thanks for your time
Since you need to fetch data from WCF service which is backed by EF framework, have you considered using OData to expose EF objects? Check out some links below:
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ODataBasicsAtTheAZGroupsDayOfNETWithScottGu.aspx