LINQ to SQL
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Introduction
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Resources
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Introduction
LINQ to SQL allows .NET developers to write “queries” in their .NET language of choice to retrieve and manipulate data from a SQL Server database. In a general sense, LINQ to SQL allows us to create SQL queries in our preferred .NET language syntax and work with a strongly types collection of objects as a return result. We can make changes to these objects then save changes back to the database.
Features at a glance:
New API for accessing and working with SQL Server databases
Query language over database (eg. Write in C#, functional SQL query generated )
Creates strongly typed object wrappers for database objects, including foreign-key hierarchy if they exist. Provides syntax checking and intellisense support in VS.NET
Object changes persisted back to the database (dynamic SQL or Stored Procedures)
Create databases and tables from objects in code
Built-in diagnostics
This technology was codenamed DLINQ when it was initially made public.
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More Information / Related Pages
LINQ to SQL - 5 Minute Overview
- Gives you an overview of the LINQ to SQL features through many samples.
SQL Metal
- The code generator that reverse engineers a given database and build the required entity types and Data Context layer.
Stored Procedure Optional Parameters using LINQ to SQL
- How to alter the generated method signature in LINQ to SQL to drop optional parameters and allows the default supplied in T-SQL to be used.
Batch Updates and Deletes for LINQ to SQL
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Terry Aney
has posted his solution in the form of a few very cool extension methods that support batch deletes and updates.
See the article here.
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Resources
DLinq Overview for C# Developers
DLinq Overview for Visual Basic Developers
DLinq Designer
LINQ and ADO.NET Entities
- Video on Channel9 discussing the two technologies.