Linq for Dummies

by John Paul Mueller

If you've asked yourself "Why can't I develop database and XML queries in a language I already know?", then Language INtegrated Query, or LINQ, is for you. LINQ For Dummies introduces you to LINQ and the .NET Framework technologies, so you can use LINQ to query any object, any data set, any kind of XML, and SQL Server--no questions asked.

This plain-English guide gives you a thorough overview of LINQ, from understanding the tasks it performs...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470277947
• ISBN13: 9780470277942
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Pretty good starter book

Like most of the books in the Dummies series, this one has a light-hearded tone. It makes the topic of LINQ pretty clear. I was dead-new to the material, so the fact that I could follow and understand the examples means it is doing its job.

LINQ to the Rescue

The intriguing part about the Dummy series published by Wiley is that these books cover general basics about any given subject matter. They present the material straight forward in an easy to read manner. Typically, if a reader has time, one such devoted individual may accomplish this feat during a weekend sitting as the common length of a Dummy text usually delivers between 250 to 400 pages. The writing style contributes to this quick pace by offering humor and joviality to the mix. Rich Tennant's comic illustrations, a greatly appreciated staple in the Dummy series, bring a common sense angle of the problem at hand into perspective which often elicits a chuckle. Nonetheless, the expectation is to immediately grasp the concept and build a knowledgeable foundation from which to work from. From this point, the publishers at Wiley wisely require the Part of Tens section in each of their Dummy books in which one can jump into more advanced topics to continue the educational process. Overall, the authors, themselves, should be commended for their efforts to transform technical goo into some comprehensive pastry for the mind without the gratuitous fluff that other bigger tomes exploit, ultimately, bumping shipping costs higher. By now everyone expects these conventions from any "(Insert Subject) for Dummies" book, and "LINQ for Dummies" written by John Paul Mueller is no exception. Release of this book coincides right around the time LINQ started to surface, so the author has firsthand and intimate understanding about this topic. The first third of the book introduces this recently created declarative language. Syntax, semantics, namespaces, terminology, and nuisances between C# and Visual Basic are thoroughly explained. The author takes the reader by the hand and walks through simple query constructions for each keyword operator. He utilizes the debugger as an onsite teaching assistant to explore the intricacies of LINQ behind the scenes. The remaining bulk focuses on specific providers where the fun stuff begins to take shape. In order to work with certain data sources, a LINQ provider must be available to communicate with that particular resource. The four major providers are LINQ to Object, LINQ to DataSet, LINQ to SQL, and LINQ to XML. A close examination for each of these providers is covered here. Apparently, there are already quite a few other custom providers out there as well, available at CodePlex, such as SharePoint, Excel, CRM, JavaScript, even Google, and so many more. The anticipation to have it all is similar to the feeling any kid has in a candy store with a no limit American Express credit card. To alleviate this urge, the book continues to explain these other providers dealing with Office 2007, Active Directory, RDF, COM+, and a brief appearance of MySql. A really nice aspect about this read is there are absolutely no constraints to LINQ. The author makes every attempt to point out unconventional and conve