Stephens' C# Programming with Visual Studio® 2010 24-Hour Trainer

LINQ to SQL

Lesson 37 provided an introduction to LINQ to Objects. This lesson gives a brief introduction

to another of the LINQ family of technologies: LINQ to SQL.

LINQ to SQL lets you use queries similar to those provided by LINQ to Objects to manipulate

SQL Server databases. It uses a set of classes to represent database objects such as tables and

records. The classes provide intuitive methods for adding, modifying, deleting, and otherwise

manipulating the records.

In this lesson you learn the basics of LINQ to SQL. You learn how to make LINQ objects rep-

resenting a SQL Server database and how to add records to the database. You also learn how

to perform queries similar to those described in Lesson 37 to filter and sort data taken from

the database.

The basic steps for making a LINQ to SQL application are connecting to the database, making

LINQ to SQL classes, and writing code to manipulate the data.

Note that the programs and techniques described

in this chapter demonstrate only very simple uses of

LINQ to SQL. For more information, search the Web.

Microsoft’s “Language-Integrated Query (LINQ)”

page at

msdn.microsoft.com/library/bb386976.

aspx

provides a good starting point for learning more

about LINQ to SQL.

CONNECTING TO THE DATABASE

The first step in creating a LINQ to SQL program is

connecting to the database. Create a Windows Forms

application as usual. Then open the Server E ...