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Appendix B: Very Simple Connectivity Examples
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A full discussion of LINQ is well beyond the scope of this book, and the query syntax is different enough
that I am going to avoid confusing the beginner here with the new twist on things. That said, it is worth
noting some things about what LINQ is and isn’t.
LINQ uses a strongly typed model to allow queries to a wide variety of data. While access to SQL Server
is what is most relevant to this book, it’s important to note that LINQ is very capable of connectivity
with non-tabular data sources. LINQ can be used to access XML (XPath is generally the better choice,
but you may want to use LINQ for consistency with other data access you’re doing), and it can be used
to access things such as object collections. In short, it is wildly flexible about what kind of data it is
returning.
Beyond the flexibility, the primary advantage I see to LINQ is that it is strongly typed. Previous access
models used a binding model where your program didn’t really have any assurances of what data type
it was getting back until runtime. LINQ utilizes a far more early binding to the data, and therefore is
able to catch many types of type mismatch or similar errors earlier in the coding process. This is, of
course, not entirely foolproof, but it is an advance in terms of the particular area it is addressing.
If you’re thinking that you’re going to use LINQ for all your data access, all I can do is to encourage you
to make sure that you understand why LINQ is your choice prior to making it. Don’t use it because it’s
the latest “cool” thing, but rather because it fits your particular need better than the other options available
to you.