What is the purpose of .edmx files?

What is the purpose of .edmx files? Reading the CSDL, SSDL, and MSL specifications, it looks to me like .edmx files are used only at design time. Are we meant开发者_运维技巧 to distribute it with the other edmx? It seems like we need to distribute the .ssdl and/or .csdl files instead.

EDMX is Visual Studio's "container" for all things about your Entity Data Model.

It contains all the information that is in the CSDL, SSDL, MSL, plus information about the visual layout of the tables in your Visual Studio designer surface.

The EDMX file is converted into CSDL, SSDL, MSL (typically embedded as resources in your assembly) during the build process. You definitely don't have to distribute or copy the EDMX files anywhere for the app to run.

Update: if you are more interested in a code-based approach, you should check out the code-first CTP for Entity Framework which gets by without any .edmx, .csdl/ssdl/msl files at all.

An .edmx fileis an XML file that defines a conceptual model , a storage model, and the mapping between these models. An.edmx file also contains information that is used by the ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer (Entity Designer) to render a model graphically.