Questions tagged [code-first]

Code-First is a software implementation approach that favors programming (typically imperative, though not necessarily) against an API over other approaches, which may include

• Model-First. An approach where a model is created using some sort of editor or designer (typically through a highly visual, interactive user interface). Examples include a forms editor for creating user interfaces, a UML modeling tool for generating code or database schemas, or a wizard to generate XML configuration information.
• External Source -First. A general approach that requires some source of information used to generate program behavior or structure. Either an interactive or automated tool may be used. Examples of external sources include XML schemas, and configuration files. Database-First could be considered a specialization in which a database is used to generate program entities.

Code-first emphasizes

• Solving a particular set of problems using code before (or at least mostly instead of) using other approaches
• Minimal (relative to other approaches) tooling support
• Language, framework and API rather than tools and techniques for working with them

Code-first may imply the use of "convention over configuration" and the API may be of the form of a "fluent interface". Code-first and other approaches may be used together if supported by the provider, vendor or open source project.