Answer: LINQ (Language Integrated Query) is a set of features in .NET that provides query capabilities directly in .NET languages, such as C# and VB.NET, allowing developers to write queries for collections, databases, XML, and more using a consistent syntax
The main types of LINQ include LINQ to Objects, LINQ to SQL, LINQ to XML (also known as XLinq), LINQ to Entities (part of Entity Framework), and LINQ to DataSets.
Answer: LINQ to Objects allows querying in-memory collections, such as arrays, lists, and other enumerable collections, using LINQ syntax.
Deferred execution means that the evaluation of a LINQ query is delayed until the query object is enumerated, for example, when a foreach
loop is executed or a method like ToList
is called
Answer: Extension methods are static methods that can be called on instances of a type as if they were instance methods. In LINQ, extension methods like Where
, Select
, OrderBy
, etc., extend the IEnumerable<T>
and IQueryable<T>
interfaces to provide query capabilities.
IEnumerable
and IQueryable
in LINQ?Enumerable
is used for in-memory collections and executes LINQ queries locally on the client-side. IQueryable
is used for remote data sources, like databases, and executes queries on the server-side, translating LINQ queries into database-specific queries.
Answer: LINQ provides strongly-typed queries by using generic collections and lambda expressions, ensuring compile-time type checking and IntelliSense support in the IDE
Answer: Anonymous types allow the creation of new types without having to define them explicitly. They are typically used in LINQ query projections to shape the result set into a desired format on the fly.
Answer: A lambda expression is an anonymous function that can contain expressions and statements, and can be used to create delegates or expression tree types. In LINQ, lambda expressions are used to write inline queries.
The Select
method is used to project each element of a collection into a new form. It is used for transforming or shaping data from a source collection into a new collection.