# Binding to EntityFramework using Database First Approach

This article demonstrates how to build a hierarchical grid by using Entity Framework and Database first approach.

![WinForms RadGridView Binding to EntityFramework](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/a731eef20638af605f27c6b2eb827599/gridview-populating-with-data-binding-to-entity-framework-using-database-first-approach001.png)

## Installing and Configuring Entity Framework

In order to download Entity Framework you can follow this MSDN article - [Get Entity Framework](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/data/ee712906.aspx). If you are using Visual Studio version below 2012 you may need to install the NuGet package manager - [Installing NuGet](http://docs.nuget.org/docs/start-here/installing-nuget)

After you have installed Entity Framework, follow these steps:

1\. Right-click on your Project in Visual Studio and choose Add >> New Item.

![WinForms RadGridView Configuring Entity Framework](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/dfbbe1dee648fcdd401df7adaaaa9c4e/gridview-populating-with-data-binding-to-entity-framework-using-database-first-approach002.png)

2\. Choose ADO.NET Entity Data Model

![WinForms RadGridView ADO.NET Entity Data Model](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/78c85c7bd84dd3b2967d8492374a0f47/gridview-populating-with-data-binding-to-entity-framework-using-database-first-approach003.png)

3\. From the next window choose *Generate From Database* and Click next.

4\. Choose your Database and click Next.

![WinForms RadGridView Choose your Database](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/df067cbff01d4e9606302c1b71b5259f/gridview-populating-with-data-binding-to-entity-framework-using-database-first-approach004.png)

5\. From this final window select the needed tables and click Finish.

![WinForms RadGridView Select Tables](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/0b9838b096008089b92ef8fc61c0d137/gridview-populating-with-data-binding-to-entity-framework-using-database-first-approach005.png)

Now, our models should be generated.

## Configure RadGridView to work with EntityFramework

1\. Add **RadGridView** to the **Form** and then in the code behind add an instance of the **DbContext** which will provide us access to the data in the database:

```C#
NorthwindEntities dbContext = new NorthwindEntities();
```

```VB.NET
Dim dbContext As New NorthwindEntities
```

> note When binding **RadGridView** we will be using the Local property of **DbSet**. The Local property provides access to the data without a query being sent to the database. It is also synchronized with the **DbSet**. For example, if an entry is deleted from the Local property, the next time a query is executed it will be deleted from the database.

2\. Add the following code to your Form’s constructor:

```C#
dbContext.Customers.Load();
this.radGridView1.DataSource = this.dbContext.Customers.Local.ToBindingList();
```

```VB.NET
dbContext.Customers.Load()
Me.radGridView1.DataSource = Me.dbContext.Customers.Local.ToBindingList()
```

These extension methods are located in the **System.Data.Entity** namespace. As the **Local** property represents the local data, we need to first load the data from the database. Then, by calling **ToBindingList** method we make sure that our **RadGridView** and the **Local** data will be synchronized.

> note When adding new rows in **RadGridView** by default the *Id* cell of the new rows will be *0* since the data was not send to the database, therefore no *UniqueId* has been assigned yet.

3\. Now, we just need to add the relation between the **Customers** and **Orders** tables:

```C#
dbContext.Orders.Load();

GridViewTemplate template = new GridViewTemplate();
template.DataSource = dbContext.Orders.Local.ToBindingList();
this.radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates.Add(template);

GridViewRelation relation = new GridViewRelation(this.radGridView1.MasterTemplate);
relation.ChildTemplate = template;
relation.RelationName = "CustomersToOrders";
relation.ParentColumnNames.Add("CustomerId");
relation.ChildColumnNames.Add("CustomerId");
this.radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation);
```

```VB.NET
dbContext.Orders.Load()

Dim template As New GridViewTemplate()
template.DataSource = dbContext.Orders.Local.ToBindingList()
Me.radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates.Add(template)

Dim relation As New GridViewRelation(Me.radGridView1.MasterTemplate)
relation.ChildTemplate = template
relation.RelationName = "CustomersToOrders"
relation.ParentColumnNames.Add("CustomerId")
relation.ChildColumnNames.Add("CustomerId")
Me.radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation)
```

4\. The final step is to save the changes to the database when the form closes. For this purpose, we need to subscribe to the form's **Closing** event and add the following code in the event handler:

```C#
this.dbContext.SaveChanges();
```

```VB.NET
Me.dbContext.SaveChanges()
```

Now, if you run your application you should see the hierarchical data.

A complete solution in C# and VB.NET is available in our SDK repository [here](https://github.com/telerik/winforms-sdk/tree/master/GridView/EFCodeFirstInHierarchy).

## See Also

* [Bind to XML](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/bind-to-xml)

* [Bindable Types](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/bindable-types)

* [Binding to a Collection of Interfaces](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/binding-to-a-collection-of-interfaces)

* [Binding to Array and ArrayList](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/binding-to-array-and-arraylist)

* [Binding to BindingList](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/binding-to-bindinglist)

* [Binding to DataReader](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/binding-to-datareader)

* [Binding to Generic Lists](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/binding-to-generic-lists)

* [Binding to ObservableCollection](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/populating-with-data/binding-to-observablecollection)

* [How to Bind GridView to a Local SQL Server](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/knowledge-base/gridview-databinding-tutorial-sql-server)