[ASP.NET MVC] Code first vs Database First

When you start with ASP.NET, everyone asks this question. It’s like asking whether you should make the egg first and let it hatch into a chicken, or make the chicken first and let it lay the egg?

Whichever you pick, there are differences you need to know so you can choose right — and then commit to it

1. Explanation

Code First	Database First
Write the Model classes in C# code Generate the Database from the Model classes	Generate the Model from the Database The Model classes cannot be edited

2. Pros and cons

	Code first	Database first
Pros	Very popular (because developers usually don’t like designing DBs, but do like designing classes) Full control over the model code; adding, removing and changing properties is extremely easy No need to rack your brain over the DB. With this approach the DB is just a “lump” of data you pull out and use You can version control the Database	Less popular The DB can be developed separately You can use an existing DB Entity Framework creates the Entity classes for you
Cons	Structural changes made directly on the DB get lost Hard to control which columns are created in the Db A bit awkward when combined with an existing Db	You can’t change the Generated code (it gets lost on the next DB structure change) Hard to add DataAttributes and DisplayAttributes to the model classes You have to rack your brain to express parent-child relationships between classes Every time the DB structure changes you have to update the EDMX and regenerate the Model classes to reflect that change

You have to rack your brain to express parent-child relationships between classes. Every time the DB structure changes you have to update the EDMX and regenerate the Model classes to reflect that change

3. What future for ASP.NET Core?

At the time of writing, ASP.NET Core will still support Database First long term, but it has some very annoying bugs that make creating Entity Classes from an existing Database a bit difficult

A tentative conclusion: Code first is the future, but if you like, you can still use Database First

That’s all :D