Standard Query Data Operators with LINQ : John Papa

LINQ to Objects and LINQ to Entities have an arsenal of Standard Query Operators that operate on sequences to perform a wide variety of operations. Language Integrated Query (LINQ) allows developers to write SQL-like queries with Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5 code using a strongly typed syntax. Different LINQ providers, such as LINQ to Objects (which allows you to write queries against object hierarchies) and LINQ to Entities (which allows you to write queries against the Entity Framework's conceptual model), are then able to effectively process these queries according to the nuances of their representative data stores. Besides the strongly typed syntax, LINQ queries also have an arsenal of standard query operators to enhance their functionality. These standard query operators operate on sequences and allow you to perform operations such as determining if a value exists in the sequence and performing an aggregated function, such as a summation, over a sequence. In this month's column I will perform practical queries and operations with LINQ, using both LINQ to Objects and LINQ to Entities. I'll query a single collection of entities and dive deeper into a hierarchical set of entities using their navigation properties. I'll also show how you can apply many of the standard query operators to arrays and collections. I will demonstrate how LINQ's standard query operators are enhanced using lambda expressions and how they can let you parse specific information from a sequence and perform complex logic over a sequence. All code examples are available in the download provided for this column...

Standard Query Data Operators with LINQ : John Papa