What is the default behavior of the RelatedData API in Sitefinity?

The default behavior of the RelatedData API in Sitefinity is lazy loading. This means that related data is not loaded until it is explicitly accessed. This can be particularly advantageous in applications where there may be a significant amount of related data, as it minimizes the initial load time and optimizes performance by loading only what is necessary, when it is necessary.

Lazy loading avoids unnecessary database queries at the onset and can lead to improved efficiency, especially when dealing with complex object graphs. When a user accesses a property of the related data for the first time, Sitefinity dynamically fetches this data from the database rather than pre-loading it with the main entity. This approach allows developers to strike a balance between performance and responsiveness when working with related data.

In contrast, eager loading would fetch all related data upfront, which can lead to performance issues, particularly in large datasets. Static loading and dynamic loading are not standard behaviors associated with the RelatedData API in Sitefinity, making lazy loading the clear default choice.