LINQ, or Language Integrated Query as it is called, is a query translation pipeline that has been introduced as part of the C# 3.0 library. It is an extension to the C# language and provides a simplified framework for accessing relational data in a strongly typed and object oriented way. You can even use LINQ to query data from other data sources such as XML, objects, and collections.
In this chapter, we will discuss LINQ to Entities. We will learn how to use LINQ on top of the Entity Framework and how LINQ can be used to query data against the Entity Data Model. We will start our discussion with a quick look at what LINQ is and examine some of its features.
In this chapter, we will learn about the following:
Introducing LINQ;
Benefits and Features of LINQ
Components of the LINQ Architecture
Understanding LINQ to Entities
Operators in LINQ
Expressions in LINQ