First of all, let’s try to get an overview of LINQ. In this section, we will try to understand:
- What is LINQ?
- Why learn LINQ?
What is LINQ?
LINQ (Language Integrated Query) is a uniform query syntax in C# and VB.NET to retrieve data from different sources and formats. It is integrated into C# or VB, thereby eliminating the mismatch between programming languages and databases, as well as providing a single querying interface for different types of data sources.
For example, SQL is a Structured Query Language used to save and retrieve data from a database. In the same way, LINQ is a structured query syntax built-in C# and VB.NET to retrieve data from different types of data sources such as collections, ADO.Net DataSet, XML Docs, web service, and MS SQL Server, and other databases.
LINQ queries return results as objects. It enables you to uses an object-oriented approach on the result set and not to worry about transforming different formats of results into objects.
Why learn LINQ?
Learn why should we use LINQ in the next chapter.