LINQ Unleashed: for C# (Unleashed)

Foreword by Darryl Hogan, Architect Evangelist, Microsoft CorporationMicrosoft's highly anticipated LINQ query technology makes it easy to retrieve any information programmatically from any data source, no matter where it comes from or how it's stored. Using LINQ, developers can query objects, relational databases, XML documents, and ADO.NET datasets - and do it all directly from C# 3.0, leveraging the powerful capabilities of LINQ.This is a definitive guide to getting real-world results with LINQ, using C# 3.0 and Visual Studio 2008. In LINQ Unleashed, Microsoft MVP Paul Kimmel covers every facet of LINQ programming, showing how LINQ can help you dramatically improve your productivity and build more reliable, maintainable applications.Kimmel begins by reviewing the state-of-the-art C# programming techniques LINQ uses, including anonymous types, partial methods, and Lambda expressions. Next, using realistic examples and easy-to-adapt sample code, he details the most powerful new LINQ techniques for accessing objects, databases, and XML. You'll gain a deep and practical understanding of how LINQ works "under the hood" - and learn how to do everything from selecting data through integrating XML with other data models.

Foreword by Darryl Hogan, Architect Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft’s highly anticipated LINQ query technology makes it easy to retrieve any information programmatically from any data source, no matter where it comes from or how it’s stored. Using LINQ, developers can query objects, relational databases,

This is a definitive guide to getting real-world results with LINQ, using C# 3.0 and Visual Studio 2008. In LINQ Unleashed, Microsoft MVP Paul Kimmel covers every facet of LINQ programming, showing how LINQ can help you dramatically improve your productivity and build more reliable, maintainable applications.

Kimmel begins by reviewing the state-of-the-art C# programming techniques LINQ uses, including anonymous types, partial methods, and Lambda expressions. Next, using realistic examples and easy-to-adapt sample code, he details the most powerful new LINQ techniques for accessing objects, databases, and

 

• Build efficient LINQ queries to .NET objects, SQL databases, and

  Utilize anonymous types to reduce design time, coding effort, and debugging time

• Automatically generate .NET state machines with the new yield return construct
• Master LINQ query syntax, operators, extension methods, sorting, grouping, aggregate and set operations, and more
• Make the most of select—and use it in the business layer of your n-tier applications
• Query relational data stored in Microsoft SQL Server
• Use nullable types to eliminate unnecessary database access plumbing code
• Use LINQ with ADO.NET 3.0 and Microsoft’s powerful new Entity Framework
• Extract

  Automatically construct

  Query Active Directory by extendingLINQ

Introduction  1

Part I   Getting Ready for LINQ

1   Programming with Anonymous Types 5

2   Using Compound Type Initialization  29

3   Defining Extension and Partial Methods  61

4   yield return: Using .NET’s State Machine Generator  85

5   Understanding Lambda Expressions and Closures  97

6   Using Standard Query Operators  121

Part II LINQ for Objects

7   Sorting and Grouping Queries 137

8   Using Aggregate Operations 151

9   Performing Set Operations  167

10   Mastering Select and SelectMany  185

11   Joining Query Results  211

12   Querying Outlook and Active Directory  239

Part III   LINQ for Data

13   Querying Relational Data with LINQ 265

14   Creating Better Entities and Mapping Inheritance and Aggregation  289

15   Joining Database Tables with LINQ Queries  309

16   Updating Anonymous Relational Data  349

17   Introducing ADO.NET 3.0 and the Entity Framework  383

Part IV  LINQ for

18   Extracting Data from

19   Comparing LINQ to

20   Constructing

21   Emitting

  463

22   Combining

23   LINQ to XSD Supports Typed

Index

This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version.Foreword by Darryl Hogan, Architect Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation Microsoft's highly anticipated LINQ query technology makes it easy to retrieve any information programmatically from any data source, no matter where it comes from or how it's stored. Using LINQ, developers can query objects, relational databases, XML documents, and ADO.NET datasets--and do it all directly from C# 3.0, leveraging the powerful capabilities of LINQ. This is a definitive guide to getting real-world results with LINQ, using C# 3.0 and Visual Studio 2008. In LINQ Unleashed, Microsoft MVP Paul Kimmel covers every facet of LINQ programming, showing how LINQ can help you dramatically improve your productivity and build more reliable, maintainable applications. Kimmel begins by reviewing the state-of-the-art C# programming techniques LINQ uses, including anonymous types, partial methods, and Lambda expressions. Next, using realistic examples and easy-to-adapt sample code, he details the most powerful new LINQ techniques for accessing objects, databases, and XML. You'll gain a deep and practical understanding of how LINQ works “under the hood”--and learn how to do everything from selecting data through integrating XML with other data models. Build efficient LINQ queries to.NET objects, SQL databases, and XML content Utilize anonymous types to reduce design time, coding effort, and debugging time Automatically generate.NET state machines with the new yield return construct Master LINQ query syntax, operators, extension methods, sorting, grouping, aggregate and set operations, and more Make the most of select--and use it in the business layer of your n-tier applications Query relational data stored in Microsoft SQL Server Use nullable types to eliminate unnecessary database access plumbing code Use LINQ with ADO.NET 3.0 and Microsoft's powerful new Entity Framework Extract XML data without the hassles or complexity of XPath Automatically construct XML from CSV files and other non-XML data Query Active Directory by extending LINQ Introduction 1 Part I Getting Ready for LINQ 1 Programming with Anonymous Types 5 2 Using Compound Type Initialization 29 3 Defining Extension and Partial Methods 61 4 yield return: Using.NET's State Machine Generator 85 5 Understanding Lambda Expressions and Closures 97 6 Using Standard Query Operators 121 Part II LINQ for Objects 7 Sorting and Grouping Queries 137 8 Using Aggregate Operations 151 9 Performing Set Operatio "This is a definitive guide to getting real-world results with LINQ, using C# 3.0 and Visual Studio 2008. In LINQ unleashed, Microsoft MVP Paul Kimmel covers every facet of LINQ programming, showing how LINQ can help you dramatically improve your productivity and build more reliable, maintainable applications." "Kimmel begins by reviewing the state-of-the-art C# programming techniques LINQ uses, including anonymous types, partial methods, and Lambda expressions. Next, using realistic examples and easy-to-adapt sample code, he details the most powerful new LINQ techniques for accessing objects, databases, and XML. You'll gain a deep and practical understanding of how LINQ works "under the hood" - and learn how to do everything from selecting data through integrating XML with other data models."--book jacket A thorough overview of LINQ (Language Integrated Query), the most important new feature in Visual Studio 2008, explains how to use LINQ to improve access for .NET developers, furnishes helpful explanations that demonstrate how to use LINQ in applications, and covers such topics as conversion operators, lambda expressions and closures, relational data, and much more. Original. (Intermediate)