Introduction to LINQIntroduction to LINQ
LINQ is a new technology in .NET 3.5 that offers a unique way of querying data from diverse types of data sources.
Why LINQ
Different languages have been developed over time for the various types of data sources, for example SQL for relational databases and XQuery for XML. Therefore, developers have had to learn a new query language for each type of data source or data format that they must support. LINQ simplifies this situation by offering a consistent model for working with data across various kinds of data sources and formats. In a LINQ query, you are always working with objects. You use the same basic coding patterns to query and transform data in XML documents, SQL databases, ADO.NET Datasets, .NET collections, and any other format for which a LINQ provider is available.
LINQ includes three types of queries,
LINQ to Objects,
LINQ to XML(or XLINQ) and
LINQ to SQL( DLINQ).
Each type of query offers specific type of capabilities and is designed to query a specific source.
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