Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.EntityFramework Nuget Package Version 12.2.1100 README
===============================================================================

Release Notes: Oracle Data Provider for .NET, Managed Driver for Entity Framework

May 2017

Copyright (c) Oracle Corporation 2017

This document provides information that supplements the Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) for Entity 
Framework documentation. You have downloaded Oracle Data Provider for .NET for Entity Framework from Oracle, 
the license agreement to which is available at 
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/licenses/distribution-license-152002.html

TABLE OF CONTENTS
*New Features
*Installation and Configuration Steps
*Installation Changes
*Documentation Corrections and Additions
*Entity Framework Tips, Limitations, and Known Issues


Note: Please consult the ODP.NET, Managed Driver NuGet README at packages\Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.<version> 
for more information about the component.

Note: The 32-bit "Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio" download from http://otn.oracle.com/dotnet is 
required for Entity Framework design-time features. This NuGet download does not enable design-time tools; it 
only provides run-time support. This version of ODP.NET for Entity Framework supports Oracle Database version 
10.2 and higher.



New Features since Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.EntityFramework Nuget Package Version 12.1.2400
===========================================================================================
None



Installation and Configuration Steps
====================================
The downloads are NuGet packages that can be installed with the NuGet Package Manager. These instructions apply 
to install ODP.NET, Managed Driver for Entity Framework.

1. Un-GAC any existing ODP.NET for Entity Framework 12.2.0.1 versions you have installed. For example, if you 
plan to use only the ODP.NET, Managed Driver for Entity Framework, only un-GAC existing managed ODP.NET for
Entity Framework 12.2.0.1 versions then.

2. In Visual Studio, open NuGet Package Manager from an existing Visual Studio project. 

3. Install the NuGet package from an OTN-downloaded local package source or from nuget.org.


   From Local Package Source
   -------------------------
   A. Click on the Settings button in the lower left of the dialog box.

   B. Click the "+" button to add a package source. In the Source field, enter in the directory location where the 
   NuGet package(s) were downloaded to. Click the Update button, then the Ok button.

   C. On the left side, under the Online root node, select the package source you just created. The ODP.NET for 
   Entity Framework NuGet package will appear.


   From Nuget.org
   --------------
   A. In the Search box in the upper right, search for the package with id, 
   "Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.EntityFramework". Verify that the package uses this unique ID to ensure it is the 
   offical Oracle Data Provider for .NET, Managed Driver for Entity Framework downloads.

   B. Select the package you wish to install.


4. Click on the Install button to select the desired NuGet package(s) to include with the project. Accept the 
license agreement and Visual Studio will continue the setup. ODP.NET, Managed Driver will be installed 
automatically as a dependency for ODP.NET, Managed Driver for Entity Framework.

5. Open the app/web.config file to configure the ODP.NET connection string and local naming parameters 
(i.e. tnsnames.ora). Below is an example of configuring the local naming parameters:

  <oracle.manageddataaccess.client>
    <version number="*">
      <dataSources>
        <!-- Customize these connection alias settings to connect to Oracle DB -->
        <dataSource alias="SampleDataSource" descriptor="(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=localhost)(PORT=1521))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=ORCL))) " />
      </dataSources>
    </version>
  </oracle.manageddataaccess.client>

6. Modify the app/web.config file's connection string to create a DbContext your Entity Framework application 
will use. Below is an example of a configured DbContext.

  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="OracleDbContext" providerName="Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client"
      connectionString="User Id=hr;Password=hr;Data Source=MyDataSource"/>
  </connectionStrings>

After following these instructions, ODP.NET, Managed Driver for Entity Framework is now configured and ready 
to use.

NOTE: ODP.NET, Managed Driver may require its own configuration. Please consult the component's README
at packages\Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.<version>.



Installation Changes
====================
The following app/web.config entries are added by including the "Official Oracle ODP.NET, Managed Entity Framework Driver" 
NuGet package to your application.

1) Entity Framework

The following entry is added to enable Entity Framework to use Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.dll for executing Entity 
Framework related-operations, such as Entity Framework Code First and Entity Framework Code First Migrations against 
the Oracle Database.

<configuration>
  <entityFramework>
    <providers>
      <provider invariantName="Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client" type="Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.EntityFramework.EFOracleProviderServices, Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.EntityFramework, Version=6.122.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89b483f429c47342" />
    </providers>
  </entityFramework>
</configuration>

2) Connection String

The following entry is added to enable the classes that are derived from DbContext to be associated with a connection 
string instead to associating the derived class with a connection string programmatically by passing it via its 
constructor. The name of "OracleDbContext" should be changed to the class name of your class that derives from DbContext. 
In addition, the connectionString attribute should be modified properly to set the "User Id", "Password", and 
"Data Source" appropriately with valid values.

<configuration>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="OracleDbContext" providerName="Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client" connectionString="User Id=oracle_user;Password=oracle_user_password;Data Source=oracle" />
  </connectionStrings>
</configuration>



Documentation Corrections and Additions
=======================================
None



Entity Framework Tips, Limitations, and Known Issues
====================================================
This section contains Entity Framework related information that pertains to both ODP.NET, Managed Driver and ODP.NET, 
Unmanaged Driver. 

1. Interval Day to Second and Interval Year to Month column values cannot be compared to literals in a WHERE clause of 
a LINQ to Entities or an Entity SQL query.

2. LINQ to Entities and Entity SQL (ESQL) queries that require the usage of SQL APPLY in the generated queries will 
cause SQL syntax error(s) if the Oracle Database being used does not support APPLY. In such cases, the inner exception 
message will indicate that APPLY is not supported by the database.

3. ODP.NET does not currently support wildcards that accept character ranges for the LIKE operator in Entity SQL 
(i.e. [] and [^]). [Bug 11683837]

4. Executing LINQ or ESQL query against tables with one or more column names that are close to or equal to the maximum 
length of identifiers (30 bytes) may encounter "ORA-00972: identifier is too long" error, due to the usage of alias 
identifier(s) in the generated SQL that exceed the limit.

5. An "ORA-00932: inconsistent datatypes: expected - got NCLOB" error will be encountered when trying to bind a string 
that is equal to or greater than 2,000 characters in length to an XMLType column or parameter. [Bug 12630958]

6. An "ORA-00932 : inconsistent datatypes" error can be encountered if a string of 2,000 or more characters, or a byte 
array with 4,000 bytes or more in length, is bound in a WHERE clause of a LINQ/ESQL query. The same error can be 
encountered if an entity property that maps to a BLOB, CLOB, NCLOB, LONG, LONG RAW, XMLTYPE column is used in a WHERE 
clause of a LINQ/ESQL query.

7. An "Arithmetic operation resulted in an overflow" exception can be encountered when fetching numeric values that 
have more precision than what the .NET type can support. In such cases, the LINQ or ESQL query can "cast" the value 
to a particular .NET or EDM type to limit the precision and avoid the exception. This approach can be useful if the 
LINQ/ESQL query has computed/calculated columns which will store up to 38 precision in Oracle, which cannot be 
represented as .NET decimal unless the value is casted. 

8. Oracle Database treats NULLs and empty strings the same. When executing string related operations on NULLS or empty 
strings, the result will be NULL. When comparing strings with NULLs, use the equals operator (i.e. "x == NULL") in the 
LINQ query, which will in turn use the "IS NULL" condition in the generated SQL that will appropriately detect NULL-ness.

9. If an exception message of "The store provider factory type 'Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client.OracleClientFactory' 
does not implement the IServiceProvider interface." is encountered when executing an Entity Framework application with 
ODP.NET, the machine.config requires and entry for ODP.NET under the <DbProviderFactories> section. To resolve this 
issue by adding an entry in the machine.config, reinstall ODAC.

10. Creating a second instance of the context that derives from DbContext within an application and executing methods 
within the scope of that context that result in an interaction with the database may result in unexpected recreation of 
the database objects if the DropCreateDatabaseAlways database initializer is used.

More Informations: https://entityframework.codeplex.com/workitem/2362

Known Workarounds:
- Use a different database initializer,
- Use an operating system authenticated user for the connection, or 
- Include "Persist Security Info=true" in the connection string (Warning: Turning on "Persist Security Info" will cause 
the password to remain as part of the connection string).