Part 3. Querying relational data

When discussing querying techniques, we typically turn our attention to databases. In this part, we’ll continue to build on the core LINQ infrastructure, this time focusing on relational data. With minor changes, we can eliminate repetitive data access code and work with the SQL Server family of databases using LINQ queries. By changing our underlying data source and leaving our queries intact, we can quickly utilize the power of LINQ directly against our database. In addition, LINQ to SQL moves beyond querying data to updating data and accessing some of SQL Server’s more powerful stored procedures and user-defined functions.

Chapter 6 begins our journey into LINQ to SQL and shows the differences between a LINQ to Objects query and one using LINQ to SQL. Chapter 7 peeks under the covers to explore some of the underlying infrastructure that enables LINQ to SQL. Chapter 8 explores some of the more advanced capabilities that LINQ to SQL offers from the database and client perspectives.