Pagination in EF Core, Continued: Sortable Grids, htmx, and the Indexing Cost
The first post in this series made a clean case for keyset pagination over Skip/Take. Readers on LinkedIn pushed back with a fair question I’d dodged: what about sortable grids where the user picks the column? The post showed ORDER BY Id, which is the easy case. Real apps have grids with eight clickable column headers and a “sort direction” …
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Pagination in Entity Framework Core: Why Skip/Take Falls Apart on Hot Tables
If you’ve built an ASP.NET Core API or list view backed by Entity Framework Core, you’ve almost certainly written something like this: It works. It matches the page-number UI most users expect. Every EF Core tutorial uses it. It’s also the wrong default once your table grows beyond a few hundred thousand rows or begins seeing concurrent writes. This post …
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Debugging Entity Framework Core: 8 Real-World Query Anti‑Patterns (and How to Fix Them)
This is my post for the 2025 C# Advent. Check out all the great posts! I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and, finally, Happy Festivus. I will not be sharing my “Airing of grievances” or challenge anyone to a “Feats of strength.” Entity Framework Core is an excellent library for CRUD operations against …
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JSON Columns in SQL Server: Storing & Querying JSON with EF Core
Ever wished you could store semi-structured data in your database without dealing with complex table relationships? Good news! SQL Server has native JSON support, and EF Core makes working with JSON columns easier than ever.
Whether you’re handling dynamic configurations, logging data, or flexible user preferences, JSON columns let you mix structured and unstructured data in SQL Server—without creating dozens of extra tables.
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Keyless Entity Types in EF Core: Query Data Without Primary Keys
Not everything in your database needs a primary key. Sometimes, you just want to query views, stored procedures, or raw SQL results without forcing a unique identifier on them. That’s where Keyless Entity Types in EF Core come in!
If you’ve ever struggled with querying database views, reports, or read-only datasets, this feature is exactly what you need. Let’s dive into what Keyless Entity Types are, when to use them, and how to make them work in EF Core.
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Grouping Smarter: LINQ GroupBy Enhancements in EF Core
Grouping data in Entity Framework Core (EF Core) used to feel a little… clunky. Sometimes, LINQ’s GroupBy() worked beautifully in-memory but got lost in translation when executing SQL queries. You’d write a simple GroupBy(), and EF Core would pull all the data into memory before doing the grouping—not good!
But things are getting smarter and more efficient in recent versions of EF Core! With LINQ GroupBy enhancements, EF Core now translates more grouping operations into optimized SQL queries, saving memory and improving performance.
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Transactional Savepoints in EF Core: Rollback Just What You Need!
We’ve all been there—you’re halfway through a multi-step transaction, and boom! 💥 Something fails. You don’t want to roll back everything, just the part that went wrong.
That’s where Transactional Savepoints come in!
Savepoints let you partially roll back transactions, keeping the good stuff while undoing just the problematic parts. If you’ve ever wished for a “Ctrl + Z” in database operations, this is it.
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Tapping into Database Views with EF Core: Reverse Engineering Made Easy
Not all database tables are created equal! Sometimes, you don’t need direct access to raw data—you need a refined, read-only version that makes querying easier. That’s where database views come in!
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Mapping the World with EF Core: Working with Spatial Data
Have you ever needed to store coordinates, track locations, or perform distance calculations in your database? Whether you’re building a ride-sharing app, a location-based service, or an interactive map, working with spatial data is essential.
Luckily, EF Core supports spatial data types, allowing you to store, query, and manipulate geographic data seamlessly. No more treating latitude and longitude as simple numbers—let’s bring real GIS (Geographic Information System) power to your EF Core apps!
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Unlocking EF Core Performance: How to Track Queries with Event Counters
If you’ve ever wondered why your EF Core queries feel sluggish or why your database is working overtime, you’re not alone. Performance issues can creep in quietly, and before you know it, your app is struggling to keep up.
Wouldn’t it be great if EF Core had built-in performance tracking so you could monitor database activity in real time? Good news—it does!
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