Does nHibernate allow drag and drop automatic class creation like linq to sql? - nhibernate

Question

Just a basic question. Learning Linq to SQL and some nHibernate. I am using the mvc tutorial and they drag and drop tables onto the visual studio designer to create the classes and wire up everything.
When I experimented with nHibernate I had to do lots with xml files. Does nHibernate have anything that is "easy" like Linq to SQL or is this drag and drop for Linq to SQL so basic that when I want to do something "real" it won't matter that Visual Studio does this for me (at this basic level)? In other words, the further I go with Linq to SQL, I'll eventually have to handle config files like I do with nHibernate.

Answer 1

Look at Castle's ActiveRecord framework. It replaces the use of XML config files with the use of Attributes directly on the class/property declaration. Also, a tool called ActiveWriter integrates with Visual Studio and allows connecting to a data source and generating the object model!

Answer 2

There is no "native" support like you see with LINQ to SQL. However, there are third party add-ins that will allow you to do something similar with nHibernate. My favorite is this one:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nhibernateaddin
To use it:
Create a data connection to a
database that contains the structure
you are going to code against (your
development database).
Add a new NHibernate plug-in item
(via add new item) to your project
that will contain you domain objects.
In the property window add the data
connection string from the data
connection you just created (this
isn't automated yet).
Finally, you drag and drop your tables
from your data connection to the
NHibernate plug-in object and when
saved your mapping files and you
domain objects are generated. To use
it you create a data connection to a
database that contains the structure
you are going to code against (your
development database).