EF Core: Lazy Loading, Eager Loading, and Loading Data on Demand

Question

When working with Entity Framework Core (EF Core), there are different strategies for loading related data from the database.

So, how do you load a collection or other related objects?

Here are the main options:

1️⃣ Eager Loading (Include)

Loads related data immediately with the main entity using .Include().

Example: Load an Order with its Customer

var order = context.Orders
    .Include(o => o.Customer) // Load related Customer
    .First();

Example: Load a Customer with Their Orders

var customer = context.Customers
    .Include(c => c.Orders) // Load related Orders
    .First();

✅Pros:

✔ Avoids multiple database queries (N+1 problem)

✔ Simple and easy to use

❌ Cons:

❌ Can load unnecessary data, increasing query size

❌ Slower if you load too many relationships

2️⃣ Explicit Loading (Entry().Reference() / Entry().Collection())

Loads related data on demand (manually) using .Entry().

Example: Load a Single Related Entity

var order = context.Orders.First();

// Load related Customer manually
context.Entry(order).Reference(o => o.Customer).Load();

Console.WriteLine(order.Customer.Name);

Example: Load a Collection of Related Entities

var customer = context.Customers.First();

// Load related Orders manually
context.Entry(customer).Collection(c => c.Orders).Load();

Console.WriteLine($"Orders count: {customer.Orders.Count}");

✅ Pros:

✔ More control over when data is loaded

✔ Avoids unnecessary queries

❌ Cons:

❌ Requires additional queries

❌ Must remember to load data explicitly

3️⃣ Lazy Loading (Requires Proxies)

Loads related data only when accessed.

Install :

dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Proxies

Steps to Enable Lazy Loading

Enable in DbContext:

protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder options)
{
    options.UseLazyLoadingProxies().UseSqlite("Data Source=mydb.db");
}

Make navigation properties virtual

public virtual Customer Customer { get; set; } = default!;
public virtual List<Order> Orders { get; set; } = new();

Example Usage :

var order = context.Orders.First();

// Lazy loaded automatically when accessed

Console.WriteLine(order.Customer.Name);

✅ Pros:

✔ Simplifies code (data is loaded automatically)

✔ Works without modifying queries

❌ Cons:

❌ Requires proxies (extra package)

❌ Can lead to multiple database hits (N+1 problem)

4️⃣ Projection (Select with Anonymous Types)

Loads only specific data instead of full entities.

Example: Load Only Needed Fields

var orders = context.Orders
    .Select(o => new 
    { 
        o.OrderNumber, 
        CustomerName = o.Customer.Name 
    })
    .ToList();

foreach (var order in orders)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{order.OrderNumber} - {order.CustomerName}");
}

✅ Pros:

✔ Best for performance (loads only required fields)

✔ Reduces unnecessary data transfer

❌ Cons:

❌ Cannot track entities (only works for read-only queries)

Summary Table

Best Practices
Use Eager Loading (Include()) when related data is always needed.

Use Explicit Loading if you want manual control.

Use Lazy Loading only if necessary (it can cause performance issues).

Use Projection (Select) when you need only some fields.

Source Code

You can find the complete source code for this tutorial at:
GitHub Repository

Here are some useful references to learn more about EF Core :

Official Microsoft Documentation
Entity Framework Core Loading Related Data
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/querying/related-data

Covers Eager Loading, Explicit Loading, and Lazy Loading with examples.
EF Core: Configuring Lazy Loading
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/querying/related-data/lazy

Explains how to enable Lazy Loading with proxies.
EF Core: Using Include() for Eager Loading
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/querying/related-data/eager

Details how to use .Include() and .ThenInclude().
EF Core Performance Considerations
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/performance/

Best practices for optimizing queries and avoiding performance issues like N+1 queries.

Community & Blog Articles
EF Core Lazy Loading vs. Eager Loading - Which One Should You Use?
https://www.thinktecture.com/en/entity-framework-core/lazy-loading-vs-eager-loading/

A detailed comparison of when to use each strategy.
EF Core Best Practices: Avoiding Performance Pitfalls
https://www.michalbialecki.com/2020/11/29/entity-framework-core-performance-best-practices/

Covers when to use .Include(), lazy loading, and projection.