title: Entity Framework: Data Centric vs. Object Centric
body: <p>I'm having a look at Entity Framework and everything I'm reading takes a data centric approach to explaining EF.  By that I mean that the fundamental relationships of the system are first defined in the database and objects are generated that reflect those relationships.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Examples</strong></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/217655/using-entity-framework-entities-as-business-objects">Quickstart (Entity Framework)</a></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/217655/using-entity-framework-entities-as-business-objects">Using Entity Framework entities as business objects?</a></p>
  
  <p>The EF documentation implies that it's not necessary to start from the database layer, e.g.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Developers can work with a consistent
    application object model that can be
    mapped to various storage schemas</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>When designing a new system (simplified version), I tend to first create a class model, then generate business objects from the model, code business layer stuff that can't be generated, and then worry about persistence (or rather work with a DBA and let him worry about the most efficient persistence strategy).  That object centric approach is well supported by ORM technologies such as (n)Hibernate.</p>
  
  <p>Is there a reasonable path to an object centric approach with EF?  Will I be swimming upstream going that route?  Any good starting points?</p>