While browsing through feeds, I spotted these news - Entity Framework Beta 2 is now available for download.
I believe that once Entity Framework is ready, it’ll work sweetly with the LINQ to Entities. That way you’ll get best of both worlds. The figure on the right (copied from the MSDN) describes the architecture and relations of the Entity Framework, LINQ and ADO.NET well.
The new features and improvements in the Entity Framework include:
- Events to customize code generation
- Abstract types in EDM models
- Complex types
- <Using> support in metadata files
- Entity key serialization
- Increased persistence ignorance in entity data classes
- Improved connection management in ObjectContext
- Improved DataBinding usability
- Metadata annotations
- Better support for span over LINQ to Entities queries
- Improvements to LINQ queries: additional canonical functions and automatic mapping from CLR functions to server functions
- A new event for extensibility of SaveChanges
- Usability and consistency improvements
- Polymorphic results from stored procedures
If you are interested in trying out this beta, be sure to test the tools (CTP1), too. The tools will bring you the joys of Entity Designer, Entity Mapper, Entity Model Browser and Visual Studio Integration.
Other useful links:
I’ve been bit busy lately due to moving to new apartment this week and otherwise busy, so there haven’t been lately as much time for blogging as I have hoped. It’ll be fixed soon, though 
