Why should you care?

ShopNest order detail API loads Order first, then explicitly loads Items only if user expands line items — saves bandwidth on summary view.

See it live — copy this example

Paste into a .NET project with EF Core packages, then run with LocalDB/SQL Server (dotnet ef / dotnet run).

var order = await _context.Orders
    .AsNoTracking()
    .FirstOrDefaultAsync(o => o.Id == orderId);

if (order is null) return NotFound();

await _context.Entry(order).Collection(o => o.Items).LoadAsync();
await _context.Entry(order).Reference(o => o.Customer).LoadAsync();

What happened?

• First query loads Order only.
• LoadAsync on Collection and Reference issues separate SELECTs for Items and Customer when you choose.

Practice next

1. Load principal with AsNoTracking if read-only.
2. Attach entity if detached before Entry().LoadAsync.
3. Use Query() on collection for filtered explicit load.
4. Use Entry(order).Collection(o => o.Items).Query().Where(i => i.Quantity > 1).LoadAsync().
5. Load reference only when query param ?includeCustomer=true.

Remember

Explicit load uses Entry().LoadAsync. Good for conditional related data. Entity must be tracked or attached.

ShopNest order expand

Mobile order list loads headers; detail screen explicitly loads Items collection.

Outcome: List view stays fast; detail view pays cost only when opened.