Open Access ORM vs Microsoft Entity Framework

[Lev Rosenblit]

Hello,
i'm developing a new web application from scratch. This is a large scale application, and we have long term goals and development plans.

I read all I could find on open access and entity framework, I've watched all the webinar's and other instructional videos, and made some sample application to learn and check it out.

I found that both provide about the same value:
1) open access has more functionality at this stage, but Microsoft road map for entity framework v2 looks promising.
2) entity framework is better integrated with Linq.
3) entity framework is not much different in usage than Linq to SQL, therefore makes the transition easier for those (like me) that used Linq to SQL.
4) open access is said to be better integrated with Rad Controls (but i found on telerik blogs and tutorials that entity framework is integrated much the same way).
5) open access is an external build while entity framework is part of .net3.5sp1 and entity framework v2 will be part of .net4, i.e. direct Microsoft support and updates.
6) telerik has a great development community and support staff, and if judging by the information i found when i encountered a problem with rad controls, i guess the support level for open access is the same.
7) both of them run about the same speed
8) open access provides forward and reverse mapping.

So, i cant decide which one is better suited for my needs (keeping in mind that the choice ill make will be for a long term development process).

I really like Open Access, but the entity framework seems to be on the right track as well.

Can you please offer your opinions on which one to use and why?

Thanks,
Lev Rosenblit

[Dimitar Kapitanov]

Hello Lev Rosenblit,
Few more things to consider:
1. OpenAccess supports multiple DBs and will support incrementally more in the future
2. Linq support very soon will be 'feature complete' and will run against different DBs (pushed to the server)
3. We will introduce visual designer support at some point.
You just have to make a prototype and see whether it works for your scenario.



Kind regards,
Dimitar Kapitanov
the Telerik team

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[Edward]

I agree, I have been deep diving into both solutions for the past two weeks and the EF +roadmap looks promising, I am not sure why I would invest in OpenAccess? I am waiting for the Telerik pitch.

[sitefinitysteve]

I like to go with Telerik because of the quarterly releases, much more aggressive than Microsoft.  OpenAccess will inevitably contain just about all entities features then surpass it

That being said, I think Q1 2010 seems to be the point to jump on the OA train

[Dimitar Kapitanov]

Hello Edward,
I think the pitch will be our Q1 2010 release.
We will provide such a white paper at this very moment is my estimate.





All the best,
Dimitar Kapitanov
the Telerik team

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[Rohit]

Well there's already a war going around with NHibernate and (vs.) Entity Framework
and Then another new ORM  it introduces some more confusion

It would be better to contribute to whats already built instead of creating one...

[Ivailo]

Hello Rohit,

I understand your point. However we believe we can provide something even better on the market.

Basically, we are delivering to you more value then Entity Framework or NHibernate based on:
- optimized design time with many wizards and tool windows integrated in Visual Studio, including our industry leading support for Web Services generation. 
- more flexible runtime capabilities, such as our unique Artificial Types or the extended Attach / Detach functionality capable of handling entire object graphs to help your N-Tier development scenarios

Regarding Entity Framework, here is an article comparing it with OpenAccess ORM. A similar comparison with NHibernate is also on the way, so that you can take informed decisions.

For those that do have legacy applications, we are ensuring easier migration to OpenAccess with our conversion videos and our thorough conversion guides.

And finally, if I am choosing an ORM for my upcoming projects, I would really consider the amount of support that I can get for my data access layer, as it is pretty important for any application and can be a real show-stopper if not working properly. That being said, while the Telerik community is a useful resource and our Knowledge Base and Code Library is updated on a weekly bases, you can also benefit from our priority support if you really need urgent help with certain issues. Furthermore, the short release cycle of at least 6 official releases and several additional builds in between ensures that any severe problems you find will be handled as soon as possible.

I hope that answers your question to some extent. Do not hesitate to get back to us if you have any additional inquiries. 

Kind regards,
Ivailo
the Telerik team

[sitefinitysteve]

It's also hardly "New" :)  Product was renamed to OpenAccess over 4 years ago, and before that existed as Nolics which was around for at least a couple years before that.  EF didn't even come out until 2008, and when it did (if you remember) it was a steaming turd.

Also (again)...when something goes wrong with Entity Framework, you're screwed...how many releases a year come out, and can you even find any person to talk to in order to get your bug fixed.

...and with an OS product like NHibernate you have to go post in a forum and hope someone not only responds, but KEEPS responding until resolved.

...or go with OpenAccess and get awesome 24hr support, and multiple releases and enhancements per year

[Vincent]

Hi,

we're now in 2016 and I've got the same problem/question.

With the visual designer deprecated. A new evaluation of the question is opened again.

Vincent

[Manuel]

I tried Telerik.DataAccess.CodeGeneration, it works but there is not way to filter which tables to include.  I like the product, but without the Visual Designer the Visual Studio Entity Framework code generation is the next best thing.  What have people been using?

[Doroteya]

@Vincent,

I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing strong inconveniences because of the Visual Studio integration deprecation.

For the purposes of your evaluation, I would suggest reviewing in this post. The information in it will show that although Visual Designer had an obvious design-time value, the strongest side of Data Access is its runtime.

@Manuel,

Thank you for the feedback.

Indeed the tool is still in Beta and it does not allow you to select which tables to include in your model. I added a feature request on our Ideas and Feedback portal for such an enhancement and I kindly invite you to cast your vote for it.

Regards,
Doroteya
Telerik by Progress