When it comes to handling large volumes of data in C#, performance is everything. Whether you’re importing user-submitted CSV files or syncing live regulatory data like the European sanctions list, you’ll need a solution that avoids the performance pitfalls of traditional ORM inserts.

Enter zzz Projects’ Bulk Operations — a powerful library designed to optimize database bulk operations for Entity Framework and beyond.

In this tutorial, we’ll introduce the library, walk through setup, and explore two real-world use cases: 1. user-submitted CSV import and 2. syncing the European sanction list.

Why Use zzz Projects’ Bulk Operations?

The zzz Projects Bulk Operations library significantly speeds up operations like Insert, Update, and Delete by using efficient SQL-level commands under the hood instead of looping one-by-one through Entity Framework. It can boost performance by up to 1000x for large datasets.

Key Benefits:

• Handles thousands of rows in seconds.
• Reduces memory usage and DB round-trips.
• Plays well with Entity Framework (EF Core and EF6).

Getting Started

1. Install the NuGet package

Install-Package Z.EntityFramework.Extensions.EFCore

Or for EF6:

Install-Package Z.EntityFramework.Extensions

2. Configure your DbContext (optional for some versions)

public class AppDbContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<UserRecord> UserRecords { get; set; }

    protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder options)
    {
        options.UseSqlServer("your-connection-string");
        EntityFrameworkManager.ContextFactory = context => new AppDbContext();
    }
}

Use Case 1: Importing User-Submitted Data In Bulk Using CSV from Browser

When users upload a large CSV file from your web application, performance becomes critical. Here’s how to handle that elegantly with zzz’s bulk insert.

1. Receive and Parse the File

[HttpPost]
public async Task<IActionResult> UploadCsv(IFormFile file)
{
    var records = new List<UserRecord>();

    using var reader = new StreamReader(file.OpenReadStream());
    using var csv = new CsvReader(reader, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);

    records = csv.GetRecords<UserRecord>().ToList();

    await using var db = new AppDbContext();
    await db.BulkInsertAsync(records);

    return Ok(new { Count = records.Count });
}

This approach ensures fast ingestion of even tens of thousands of rows with minimal overhead.

Use Case 2: Syncing European Sanctions List

Syncing official lists like the EU Sanctions Map to your system can involve thousands of updates or inserts. zzz’s bulk operations help you upsert or merge these changes efficiently.

1. Parse and Prepare the Data

Assume the list has been downloaded and parsed into C# objects:

List<SanctionEntry> newEntries = ParseCsv("eu-sanctions.csv");

2. Bulk Synchronize

await using var db = new AppDbContext();

await db.BulkInsertOrUpdateAsync(newEntries, options =>
{
    options.ColumnPrimaryKeyExpression = x => x.SanctionId;
});

This operation:

• Inserts new sanctions
• Updates existing ones
• Uses just one DB round-trip

Perfect for scheduled nightly jobs or webhook-triggered updates.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re dealing with user input or mission-critical regulatory data, database bulk operations are essential for modern C# applications. With zzz Projects’ Bulk Operations library, you gain an edge in performance, scalability, and developer productivity.

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