An Introduction to LINQ (Chapter 2)

Short Description
LINQ (Language Integrated Query) is a programming paradigm introduced with the release of .NET 3.5. LINQ allows you to build strongly typed query statements that can be applied to a variety of data sources in a symmetrical manner.

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Content
…This chapter will introduce you to LINQ to Objects by examining the role of query operators and query expressions. You will also learn the relationship between LINQ operators, delegates and lambda expressions.
The material presented here will serve as the foundation of future chapters where we examine LINQ to SQL, LINQ to DataSet and LINQ to Xml.
LINQ (Language Integrated Query) is a programming model which allows you to obtain data in a consistent manner.
. LINQ was introduced with the release of .NET 3.5.
. C# and VB both have LINQ support (which are similar in syntax, but not identical).
. Other .NET languages (including those from other vendors) are free to integrate LINQ functionality into their respective compilers.
. It is also possible to add LINQ infrastructure to custom types, to allow them to be recipients of LINQ queries (something we will not examine in our class).
In a nutshell, LINQ provides a symmetrical manner to obtain and manipulate ‘data’ in the broad sense of the term.
. Prior to LINQ, developers needed to learn independent APIs (System.Data, System.XML, System.Collections.Generic, etc) to interact with a particular flavor of data.
. In contrast, a single LINQ statement can be applied to a variety of data containers.
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