Get comprehensive guidance for using the Microsoft Language Integrated Query (LINQ) Project—with in-depth insights from two experienced developers. Data-rich applications can be difficult to create because of the tremendous differences between query languages used to access data and the programming languages commonly used to write applications. This practical guide covers the intricacies of LINQ, a set of extensions to the Visual C# and Visual Basic programming languages. Instead of traversing different language syntaxes required for accessing data from relational and hierarchical data sources, developers will learn how to write queries natively in Visual C# or Visual Basic—helping reduce complexity and boost productivity. Written by two experienced developers with strong ties to the developer teams at Microsoft, this book describes the LINQ architecture and classes, details the new language features in both Visual C# and Visual Basic, and provides code samples in both languages.

1. LINQ Foundations

   1. Chapter 1 LINQ Introduction

      1. What Is LINQ?
      2. Why Do We Need LINQ?
      3. How LINQ Works
      4. Language Integration
      5. LINQ Implementations
      6. Summary

   2. Chapter 2 LINQ Syntax Fundamentals

      1. LINQ Queries
      2. Query Keywords
      3. Deferred Query Evaluation and Extension Method Resolution
      4. Some Final Thoughts About LINQ Queries
      5. Summary

   3. Chapter 3 LINQ to Objects

      1. Query Operators
      2. Conversion Operators
      3. Summary

2. LINQ to Relational Data

   1. Chapter 4 LINQ to SQL: Querying Data

      1. Entities in LINQ to SQL
      2. Data Modeling
      3. Data Querying
      4. Thinking in LINQ to SQL
      5. Summary

   2. Chapter 5 LINQ to SQL: Managing Data

      1. CRUD and CUD Operations
      2. Database Interaction
      3. Database and Entities
      4. Summary

   3. Chapter 6 Tools for LINQ to SQL

      1. File Types
      2. SQLMetal
      3. Using the Object Relational Designer
      4. Summary

   4. Chapter 7 LINQ to DataSet

      1. Introducing LINQ to DataSet
      2. Using LINQ to Load a DataSet
      3. Using LINQ to Query a DataSet
      4. Summary

   5. Chapter 8 LINQ to Entities

      1. Querying Entity Data Model
      2. Managing Data
      3. Query Engine
      4. LINQ to SQL and LINQ to Entities
      5. Summary

3. LINQ and XML

   1. Chapter 9 LINQ to XML: Managing the XML Infoset

      1. Introducing LINQ to XML
      2. LINQ to XML Programming
      3. Reading, Traversing, and Modifying XML
      4. Summary

   2. Chapter 10 LINQ to XML: Querying Nodes

      1. Querying XML
      2. Deferred Query Evaluation
      3. LINQ Queries over XML
      4. Transforming XML with LINQ to XML
      5. Support for XSD and Validation of Typed Nodes
      6. Support for XPath and System.Xml.XPath
      7. LINQ to XML Security
      8. LINQ to XML Serialization
      9. Summary

4. Advanced LINQ

   1. Chapter 11 Inside Expression Trees

      1. Lambda Expressions
      2. What Is an Expression Tree
      3. Dissecting Expression Trees
      4. Visiting an Expression Tree
      5. Dynamically Building an Expression Tree
      6. Summary

   2. Chapter 12 Extending LINQ

      1. Custom Operators
      2. Specialization of Existing Operators
      3. Creating a Custom LINQ Provider
      4. Summary

   3. Chapter 13 Parallel LINQ

      1. Parallel Extensions to the .NET Framework
      2. Using PLINQ
      3. Summary

   4. Chapter 14 Other LINQ Implementations

      1. Database Access
      2. Data Access Without a Database
      3. LINQ to Entity Domain Models
      4. LINQ to Services
      5. LINQ for System Engineers
      6. Dynamic LINQ
      7. Other LINQ Enhancements and Tools
      8. Summary

5. Applied LINQ

   1. Chapter 15 LINQ in a Multitier Solution

      1. Characteristics of a Multitier Solution
      2. LINQ to SQL in a Two-Tier Solution
      3. LINQ in an n-Tier Solution
      4. LINQ in the Business Layer
      5. Summary

   2. Chapter 16 LINQ and ASP.NET

      1. ASP.NET 3.5
      2. LinqDataSource
      3. Binding to LINQ queries
      4. Summary

   3. Chapter 17 LINQ and WPF/Silverlight

      1. Using LINQ with WPF
      2. Using LINQ with Silverlight
      3. Summary

   4. Chapter 18 LINQ and the Windows Communication Foundation

      1. WCF Overview
      2. WCF and LINQ to SQL
      3. LINQ to Entities and WCF
      4. Query Expression Serialization
      5. Summary

6. Appendixes

   1. Appendix ADO.NET Entity Framework

      1. ADO.NET Standard Approach
      2. Abstracting from the Physical Layer
      3. Entity Data Modeling
      4. Querying Entities with ADO.NET
      5. Querying ADO.NET Entities with LINQ
      6. Managing Data with Object Services
      7. Manually Implemented Entities
      8. LINQ to SQL and ADO.NET Entity Framework
      9. Summary

   2. Appendix C# 3.0: New Language Features

      1. C# 2.0 Revisited
      2. C# 3.0 Features
      3. Summary

   3. Appendix Visual Basic 2008: New Language Features

      1. Visual Basic 2008 and Nullable Types
      2. The If Operator
      3. Visual Basic 2008 Features Corresponding to C# 3.0
      4. Visual Basic 2008 Features Without C# 3.0 Counterparts
      5. C# 3.0 Features Without Visual Basic 2008 Counterparts
      6. Summary