XAF XAFers Community Standup, 4 Dec 2021

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From YouTube: XAFers Community Standup XAF and Entity Framework

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Well I'll start again, so uh today we will have a short session. um Javier will be off today, also because he is presenting on.net conf in the afternoon, so they are getting ready for that. So we will have a short session because um with that and the problems that we were having with zoom, um we wouldn't have enough time.

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So anyway, uh I wait one more minute and I will start with the demos for today.

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And well, um oh, someone else is coming.

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Okay, I think that everyone must be in already, so we can start. So let me close all of this and, as I said today, we're going to have like um a short session um uh because of the dotnetconf in general.

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Well, okay! So, let's start with the first demo.

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Basically, uh the demo is for a new tool that we are developing, so the name of the tool so far is dot net control panel and the idea behind this is to basically streamline the process of deploying any net application into into linux.

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So, basically, the features that we want to to present are we want to streamline the process. We want to provide a web user interface for for the programmers to create, basically, the websites and virtual hostings.

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This tool will work with apache and nginx, so you don't have to do the setup manually. uh It will monitor the state of the dotnet app. So if you have read the articles about how to deploy a place or application or asp.net core application into linux, you'll see that there are a lot of steps, and actually you need to create services in the os a few files to make it run. So basically, this application will handle. All of that, for you um also again uh going back to the same idea of the documentation.

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If you have read it, you will understand that you also need to create a reverse proxy from a real server. So in general, you need to forward the communication from a real server like apache or nginx, to the embed, a kestrel server.

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So that's one of the tasks and in the end uh we want to also handle the database uh administration tasks like creating a database elite, and you know like when you're deploying a self application you might need to drop the database if you're going to run the updater and so on and so forth right. So this is what we want to provide.

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uh Basically, this is the layout of how the server will look like.

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So here we have basically an ubuntu server and in this case we will use ubuntu for the demo, but we plan to release for many uh linux distributions. So this is how it goes. So we have the server. This is the physical machine and basically in a physical machine, you can have several network interfaces.

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So in this case we have like three different network interfaces with different ips right, so the net control panel will allow you to basically create a web server that is going to get attached to these network interfaces and then, within that web server. You can host net processes, for example here you know that every time that you deploy a blazer application, it starts on port 5000, and so that's what we're doing in here.

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So these are three different applications running on this apache, then another uh three different applications running on a different instance of apache, because it's in a different network address and also the last one and for example here I made a mistake because I wanted to show that one of these or any of these can be an nginx also and the three databases that we're going to support for the database creation, and you know that an initiative tasks are in this case mysql because you know like it's really integrated with linux.

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So it's really easy to to to present that interface and postgres, also as well, and then the last one that we're going to support. But I think it's going to be your main one in the end is the microsoft sql server? So in that sense uh we will have you cover as a.net programmer in general, so you don't have to go and do everything in the command line so well.

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That's it for the presentation, and basically these are the steps that that you will need to run in your server in order to set up the dotnet control panel. So basically you download the script. That's step number one. Then you change the permissions to make it executable, and then you run the script. So I will do those steps, so you can see how it abstracts everything from you in general. So let's escape here and in this let's see uh basically here in this console, I'm connected to uh to a linux server.

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If you notice my taskbar at the moment, I'm running in a in an ubuntu machine, so this windows machine is in a virtual machine also, so basically, I'm running several servers at the time. That's why I moved to linux again and I wanted to show you the steps. So these are really simple, so we already download the file. So we have it here. So there is the install the installer script, so you just run the command so installer and of course you will need administrative permissions.

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So what the script is doing right now is basically download downloading apache. It can be an nginx also and download the dotnet control panel tool and connect it for you. So after you finish that it will set up the firewall, so you can connect to the application and it will handle the binding of the ip address.

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So now it's running this is running a linux server, but I will run one that I set up before, so you can take a look to it and let me stop this and run this again.

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Let's wait a little bit, you know the demo effect right. It takes time when you're showing it to someone.

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And okay, let's login so basically after this three command that I show you in the powerpoint, uh you don't need to do anything in the in the command line unless of course you wanted. So uh this is how the application is displayed right now, as you can see, it's like basically a new soft blazer application.

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We have not done too much on this monthly meeting, but.

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Hi guys, uh sorry that I called you off everyone, but um if you can mute yourself uh will be good because I'm I cannot see the the participants why I'm showing the virtual machine. So uh please do that so, okay, so here we have the the donut control panel. So basically you can have web servers. In this case. I have two web servers, as I show in the diagram I can have as many as I as I need. As long as I have ip addresses to bounded, then here we have the network interfaces.

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Like you know, uh one network interface, which is a car, can have more than one ip so from here is where we grab the ips to make the configurations in the web servers, and here we have an enginex and apache web server and not so that you have the apps right. So this is the init part. So here you have you set up the domain for the app you set up the name and you tell it on which web server you wanted to to run it.

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So you can even switch from maybe you're in your application in nginx and then you're moving into apache or you can switch between different installations because, as you can see here below, you have releases so you can basically tell like okay. I want this release to run at the moment or, if not, you want this release to run. So it helps you to switch applications in room time and basically that's uh what we have so far. We have a roadmap for this and this is what we want to achieve in general.

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It's like we want to add all the supported databases, so you can create users, delete databases and so on and so forth. uh Right now we are only supporting apache at the moment.

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I know that engine x is like the way more modern approach, but here in the office we have a huge expertise in apache we've been using it for 20 years. So that's why we decided to start with apache, not with nginx.

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Then the network interface management right now we're only handling one ipv per interface and we will include the multi ip handling for the interfaces. Then what we have for the application that this is already working is the first part that is working is we can we have deployment slots? That's what I showed you before that uh basically the releases where you can switch between one release and the other, then you can manage the domain domain names and publish one application in several domain names. That's also some some trick. That is really neat.

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uh You can handle the database for the application, so you can delete the drop it and so on and so forth right, even during a backup in some cases- and this is another thing that that we have the code, but we don't have the ui, for it is that we will include the net performance counters per application and perform time. So that means that you can watch all the applications that are running in a room time.

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For example, you can say like I want to watch the performance of all the applications running in net 5 or the applications running in net 6, or you can tell like a specific application. I want to measure my erp and I want to see how much.

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Memory is using how much cpu is consuming and basically uh what we're doing here is for showing the the the performance scout content that dot net put into the operative system. So in this case, in the linux server and also last but not least, we want to add an ftp service, so you can deploy from the studio and also the last part, which is basically is more like an information and graphical representation of the health of the server.

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So we wanted to show you a dashboard like how much memory are you using how much cpu, who is using that cpu and the and the um process that are running because at some moment you might need to kill your.net application to basically reset that? So you will see all of that here.

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um I will continue posting videos about the donut control panel, because after those three lines, it basically streamlined the deployment of a net application in a linux server. So if you have ever used, cpanel or webmin or virtualmin is basically the same, the same idea so well that's everything for the dotnet control panel. It was a really small demo.

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We have an instance running already, but we need to um polish the ui a little bit and the functionality, because everything is like running on the like in an api level. So let's stop this and let's go to our second demo from today.

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Just let me close all the studios here and all the consoles that I don't need.

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um Well, the subject of today is basically um entity framework right, so what we need to uh we had a few demos prepared for you like getting started with entity framework and so on and so forth, but uh since we run into an emergency, uh the only demo that I'm going to present regarding empty framework is uh the new version of the scene framework. So um just give me a minute to go to the repository.

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Okay, so if you haven't follow the posts on my blogs and in the in the group, uh basically we are releasing the sync framework: uh it's an open source framework, um but this only includes the core and the entity framework part. So it means that this is the official repository. So if we go and check the source, um basically uh we reduced the the infrastructure needed for the same framework for the general uh version uh that now is shared between xpo and and nd framework. So this part this project became open source.

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Basically, the implementation for xpo is still close source and it's commercial, but the core and the entity framework implementation is open, source and free to use. So um basically we're aiming everything to go to dot net five and six. Actually, I think we're going to skip dot net five, uh we're only going to do the test releases there and then move to dot next, six, which is the long-term support version of the framework.

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uh Well, uh if you want to take a look to the same framework, you can go to this url and download it. You have to take a look to the test. There is one really interesting test, so this is for the infrastructure and this one is for the entity framework project. So if you go to this file, you will see that in here we're synchronizing sql server with sqlite, postgres and mysql all at the same time. So it's kind of a crazy demo.

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You just have to replace the connection strings and then here is the the main test method. So you will see the flow that each one is creating data. Then it's synchronizing the data pulling and pushing, and then we check the account if everything uh went well.

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This is how you will use the scene framework for entity framework in a console application in a blazer application or in any traditional development case, but we are suffers right, so we want to use it in staff.

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So for that I have this small demo here and what I did is I have is the same source. I have it open in two different.

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Two different studios, because uh each one is going to represent um a different note in the network, so why we're doing it like this this time? Well, there are few things that happen with dotnet file. First, dotnet file doesn't run in summary, so for this example, it's impossible to show a summary application as a mobile client um for net six, we will include support for maui, but for this version this will basically not run in.

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In summary, uh because of the incompatibilities of the framework, somebody that is at this current moment before maui is is a different implementation, so this infringer will not work. The only thing, that's why we will show, in this case a synchronization scenario with two soft applications in general.

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So, let's run one uh so let's run the master node. So this, what is going? What this is going to run is like we're going to run the blazer application and we're going to run the sync server, uh we're modernizing the code of everything that we are doing. So I don't know if you have following the news about net 6 and c sharp 10.

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Basically, there are new type of projects which reduce a lot of the boilerplate code, so, for example, the sync server now is using the minimal api approach. So here you have one class, which is the controller which actually you can reduce more. We will maybe reduce it in the future and these lines from these 15 lines from line 5 to line 20 are the only thing that you need to run the the synchronization server, so the code is is getting smaller and smaller and smaller.

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This will end up being a one-liner, um so we're happy for that. So let's go to maintain less things to mess or get confused about. So um let's run this, uh so this will run a soft application. Let me show you this stuff. Application is using entity framework, so here we have a dd context. The db context that we're using. So let me collapse all of this this. What you're seeing here is the initializer. So you need these classes for the for the design time experience to to open the demodelator, for example.

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So this is exactly the same dv context that the file new project created for me. So I did a new soft base or application and I selected entity framework as my as my uh orm and actually I will do that right now, so you can see the the steps.

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So create new project.

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Okay, so here what we're going to do is we're going to select the net core version. Let's run the wizard.

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And let's select both desktop and web. In this case it's going to be blazer and I'm not going to select the api at the moment for the orm, we're going to select entity framework and we're going to include the security. So next here we have the modules that are available for available for entity frame also, as you can see, are most of them actually, but these will not include they are not necessary for the for the demo.

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So, let's wait for this to finish. I don't know why you know the demo effect is slow today.

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And in the meantime, let me show you the other application. Okay, so um let's check the other application when it's done so I will show you here. uh Basically, saf creates a dvd context for you and you attach the basic entities needed, for example, the module for the module difference, mobile difference, um the security and after that, for example, this dv set. That is called persons. I added myself, so you will see that here when, when you start you go to the module and then you will have.

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Your context, so, uh basically every time that you define a domain object, you need to come here and add a new db set. So, as you can see, the context is almost the same as in the other application. The only change that I had to do in order to include the scene framework in in a soft application.

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Basically are these in the module. You need to add some references, so in here we're adding references to all these projects. um You just need basically one which is the sync framework, but uh all of the other ones are different support for different databases, engines, for example, postgres, mysql, sql, server and sqlite.

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Those are the supported ones at the moment and beside that you just need to change the the base because, as if you can see the the file new application, uh your context inherits from dv context and in this other case, uh we're inheriting from syn framework db context. But if we go to definition here, you will see that it is inherit from db context. So basically it's an abstraction. So we can provide all the services for you that you need for the synchronization.

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So, that's why you only have to switch the database in general, okay, so and beside that you need to provide a different constructor. So here we have the different constructor and just register a service because, as you can see, the the original constructor only asked for one parameter, and this asks for two.

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So basically you need to register this container in the startup and after that you're ready to go. Let me show you the registration, so.

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Let's go to the startup.

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And here this line, basically in this line, we are just registering this my container class and that class exposes a service collection that we are creating. So here we're telling it okay. This is the new service collection for the sim framework.

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We want to add support for these databases, so we have support for all of them, the official ones for entity framework five uh and then we add the synchronization frameworks, and after that we tell it okay, we I want to store the deltas in this database, so in this case I'm not creating a database, I'm using a memory database, so I don't create anything for the deltas.

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They are stored in memory and the url of the server and the identity, the same idea of of the scene framework for xpo, and then you return the service collection and you're good to go. So that's the only setup that you need is this method, changing the base of the tv context and adding the new constructor after that you're good to go and regarding the synchronization, the synchronization code is incredibly simple. It's two lines or one line depending how you see it.

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So let me show you the synchronization code, so if we are hitting a controller, you will see that I created three actions.

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I have an action for push an action for pull and an action for porch, which is basically deleting the deltas in the in the delta store. So let's see how we.

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Pull information from the server is just one line. The only thing that you need to get is uh like you need to get one of the reference of the context of the db context, and then that will expose.

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The pull method and the same goes for push, so you need to get the db context from somewhere, like we did in here with these two lines, and then you just push so this line.

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This line are the only ones that you basically need for the old synchronization. So let's run this and let's see.

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uh Is this okay? It's multiple startup.

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So this is the the master application, so I will run also the the other, the node a because I have it in two different studios here. So close this one here and go here and run this.

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And okay: let's see, let's wait a little bit for this to to finish loading.

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So this is the sync server uh the minimal api that I show you. So if we go to the scene controller, we can see that okay well, this is working so so far, so good right. So.

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And then we have the other two applications running.

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So, let's login.

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And I will log into the other one also.

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Okay, so let's wait for both applications to finish.

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um Okay, so, basically, if we go to the person's table, that is the only one that we have at the moment in both cases is empty right. So the first thing that I'm going to do is I'm going to push the changes, the deltas, in both databases- for one reason I finished this demo this morning because we were having a problem with the integration of of uh all services into the saf application.

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So I didn't have the time to add the filter feature here. So let's delete everything that is already in the deltas. That's done in both databases and, let's start creating data right, so uh we create here.

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This will be person, one save uh in this one. We will create uh person two and save it. So if we go to the list.

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We have person one and person two here, so this will push and now you'll see that it's stopping in the in the push method- and I will just remove this- I don't want to stop all the time.

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So so far so good. That was what we needed to push. So in this case, let's pull in the other client and if we refresh.

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Here we have the information. This record was created in a different database and in a different instance of the application, and now let's push from this one, and this can pull and this refresh and we will have both persons. So, as you can see, it works exactly the same as the sync framework for xpo.

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We have the same three operations implemented, push pull uh thing and it's four operations in the end and porch that if you want to just start from scratch- and as I I told you like uh right now- basically we're trying to decide which parts we want to expose uh as an open source. uh So the version for entity framework is full uh open source and totally free to use. um We will police the nugets this week.

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uh That was a schedule for last week, but um between the release of dotnet, six uh visual studio, 2022 and the dot.com today. uh Basically, we've been running out of of time here in the office. So um well, that's everything for the presentation. For today.

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I don't know if there is any question about it or if anyone wants to share some experience with an entity framework.

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So if you have any experience, you want to comment anything about the sync framework for entity framework feel free to use the chat.

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Well, it looks like everyone is really quiet today, so maybe it's because the subject is a bit different, but um of course we love xpeo is always uh or prefer uh tool in general, but ndd framework. It has changed a lot now. The new version is, I would say, it's really really really nice, it's a different architecture than xpo is the main difference.

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Right now is that the architecture from xpo it looks like kind of dated right like it was started like 15 16 years ago, or even more, I think, uh but uh the entity frame or core the architecture is really modern.

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You can basically replace everything every little piece with dependency injection, so it what this was a really fun project to do, and of course, as as I told you, our main tool is xpo, but we will include from now on everything for both uh engines, xpo and npd framework and in the framework five and six, which is the current version like. Basically, everyone should move 20 different or six, if you're in five already or if you're, in one of the old versions for net framework, those are kind of really different.

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um Well yeah. That's a part of the of the things with entity framework right like the migrations that flow, I kind of don't like it, because you need to in. If you're using stuff, you either need to drop the database or just generate the scripts and run it yourself, I'm so spoiled with the the way that how xpo handles the immigration. So uh that's basically one of the the things that used to prevent me to to to move for 20 frames.

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um Well, it looks like some some of the software's here I are using um entity framework so uh basically for if you're, a all xpo user. Of course you will not move to to 2d framework, but the thing that I want to highlight here is that, if you are as a software company offers both flavors, then your possibilities of getting a new project or basically developing a ui for something that is existing, is higher right.

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um The main problem that most of the applications that you will find in the entity framework are not entity framework core entity, framework, 5 6. There will be the orbitation of entity framework and that, of course, will not run in blazer, because it's not four and the design pattern is really really different. So, basically, you can forget about uh using these to provide uis for legacy applications, because this technology is so new that basically, there are no legacy applications around.

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But if you're going to compete for for a project where the people prefer to use ndd framework, then you will have an opportunity, of course, and that means that you can double the market.

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That's why we decided also to go with entity framework core, because um there are a lot of people who actually use ntt framework core, but and they want to use soft, but they think that is something like uh uh a second-class citizen itself, and it's not it's also a first-class citizen as as xpo is so uh we're trying to promote it more to try to get uh make more content for it.

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That's why we decided to make the um to open sources in frame, or at least the core of the same framework and then um release the scene framework for entity framework, also free of charge and open source, so everyone can can fix something, for example, uh and big part of the framework will be shared, so the code will be really simple. It doesn't once you are into uh the next step, for us is to make to make it totally transparent for the programmer.

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So if you're in stuff and you're using sync framework, you don't even need to cast like I did today, I need to get the db context.

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You will get the object space and from the object space you can push, pull or porch. So the same will go for forcing framework for xpo that you will use the the object space. So that means that your code will not change at all between the synchronization of an entity, framework application or an xpo application.

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Well, it looks like there are no questions on the chat and well we're almost out of time, because today's was going to be only one hour.

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Everyone sorry for the inconvenience today we had problems with zoom and also javier is out for the.conf.

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So I think we will repeat this subject uh either uh in the middle of the month or before december, so we don't use two times the same subject. So please keep an eye on the group. We will let you know when we will show the other part of this um meetup, because we had other demos prepared, but I'm only I'm the only one here today.

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So uh again, thanks everyone for coming and just as I said, keep an eye on the group and we will reschedule the other part of these um of this meetup. So well, that's it! Everyone have a great weekend and see you in the next one.