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When demonstrating the LINQ tools, I typically start out showing the LINQ to SQL visualizer that’s available with the C# Samples. Today I saw that Raja Venkatesh has released a Visualizer for ObjectQuery<T> (aka. LINQ to Entities). As you do with the other visualizers, you enable this by simply saving the AnySourceEntityQueryVisualizer.dll to your Visualizers directory. )Note: :the download page specifies to copy it to your C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\Package
I've been playing with the Windows 7 Beta1 since they came out. So far, I've been really impressed with what I'm seeing. I've installed quite a bit and have put a full development environment on it including Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.
So far, the only real thing I've seen is a small bug in the LINQ to SQL and LINQ to Entity Framework design surfaces. In these, if you move the mouse over one of the entities on the designer, the entity may dissappear.
There's a quick work-around fo
A couple months ago I added a feature to this site to build a Site Map for this site dynamically based on the information from the database for posts and files for the downloads. If your not familiar with how Sitemap files can help your site searchability, Google has a good documentation about Sitemaps in their Webmaster tools. The SiteMap Protocal is a rather simple XML document consisting of a set of url nodes that consist of the following: loc - URL for the page link lastmod - Date
Back at DevLinq (er DevLink), I had a chance to sit out on the back porch with Keith and Woody and chat about some of the cool features and rusty washers that you can find in LINQ. Head on over to DeepFriedBytes.com and check out our conversation. You can also download the webcast to listen to on demand. Even better, you can listen on your Zune. As always, let me know what you Thinq.
Typically, major announcements regarding new versions of the framework are announced at events like PDC. This year, it appears that they're not waiting and are starting to prime the pumps so to speak. Today they have posted a new MSDN site announcing VS 2010 and .Net 4.0 along with a bunch of videos on Channel 9. I typically don't do link posts (just LINQ posts), but wanted to keep them here for my own reference if not anyone else. Enjoy.
Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0 Overview on MS
In LINQ in Action, we discuss how to add the LINQ to SQL Query visualizer into the Visual Studio 2008 environment. This tool allows you to open a window during debug time to view the TSQL that is generated from the LINQ expression tree. It also allows you to run the query and view the results. If you're not familiar with it, check out this post by Scott Guthrie. In addition to the query visualizer, you can also build and install the Expression Tree visualizer, not only as a separate application
The VS 2008 SP1 includes lots of new features (more than a typical service pack, but that's another matter). There are a number of smaller enhancements that could easily go un-noticed otherwise. One of these is to fix a bug in the way the VB compiler generates anonymous types. In most cases, you will only notice this if you are binding an anonymous projection to a DataGridView or the ASP GridView. With these controls, you will find that the columns used to be generated alphabetically rather th
While I was away on vacation, Wriju posted a good list of MSDN documents he calls the "LINQ to SQL Missing Manual". It is a good list and addresses a number of items people regularly ask about concerning LINQ. Perhaps the most important ones are:
Customizing Insert, Update, and Delete Operations (LINQ to SQL)Describes how to add validation code and other customizations.
Data Retrieval and CUD Operations in N-Tier Applications (LINQ to SQL) Provides detailed information for multi-tier applica
It seems that everyone else is chiming in on Danny Simmons' recent comparisons of the Entity Framework with other similar technologies. There are several items I wanted to address from his observations.
Regarding the EF vs. LINQ to SQL, he makes two basic points: 1) That there isn't a provider model for other data sources and 2) That LINQ to SQL requires a 1-1 table to object mapping. On the second item, there is no denying the limitation. While you can work around the issue with LINQ to SQL's
Many people have noticed when binding an anonymous type to a grid in VB that the order of the properties does not reflect the order that they were specified in the projection (Select) clause. Instead, they appear alphabetized. Consider the following query:
Dim query = From c In Customers _ Select c.LastName, c.FirstName, c.BirthDate
If you bind this query to a DataGrid or DataGridView and allow the columns to be generated automatically, the results will be displayed with the
For those of you who are wanting to live on the bleeding edge, Microsoft has just released a beta for the Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1. Soma has a listing of some of the new features that are included in this release on his blog. If you want to skip the description and jump straight to the bits, you should be able to download them here.
For LINQ fans, this release is important as it includes the nearly completed first release of the Entity Framework, ADO.Net Data Services (Astoria), and dy
In addition to the items I mentioned in my previous Beta 2 - RTM breaking change list, I found a link on the VS 2008 samples page that a whitepaper has been issued on this. Download the whitepaper at this link: http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/7/e/d7eeb256-5789-411c-a367-c9fda05c2b1c/LINQ_to_SQL_Beta_2_to_RTM_Breaking_Changes.docx
In addition, there is a whitepaper specific to breaking changes between VB 2005 and VB 2008 available here.
I've just updated the ThinqLinq proof of concept site for the Visual Studio 2008 release that came out today. If you're following the sample application, or are looking for a sample VB 9 implementation of LINQ in a web site, check out the download at http://devauthority.com/files/13/jwooley/entry101097.aspx. In case you are interested, here are the changes that were necessary to move from Beta 2 to the RTM. (The first two items are repeats from my post earlier today). Open the DBML file as X
I've just updated the ThinqLinq proof of concept site for the Visual Studio 2008 release that came out today. If you're following the sample application, or are looking for a sample VB 9 implementation of LINQ in a web site, check out the download at http://www.thinqlinq.com/Downloads/ThinqLinqRtm.zip. In case you are interested, here are the changes that were necessary to move from Beta 2 to the RTM. (The first two items are repeats from my post earlier today).
Open the DBML file as XML and
It's offical, Soma annouced on his blog that the 3.5 .Net Framework along with Visual Studio 2008 have shipped. I have been excited by the things coming with this release since PDC 2005 and am glad to finally work the the official bits. I am aware of a couple breaking changes between the Beta 2 and RTM, and will try to keep you updated as I find more items.
The biggest changes to be aware of in regards to LINQ to SQL are the following:
Open the DBML file as XML and change the UTF encoding fr
If you downloaded the VPC image version of Visual Studio 2008 beta 2, make sure to back-up your data and move anything off of the Team Foundation Server before November 1, 2007. I was just informed that the images will be time bombing on November 1 2007 rather than the originally intended March 15, 2008 date. If you don't download it now, you may not be able to retrieve your projects. More information is available at the VS 2008 beta 2 download site. If you installed the stand-alone version, you
I've uploaded the files for my presentations for the fall Code camp season which I just presented last weekend at the Birmingham, Alabama code camp. If you missed the talks, you can pick up the downloads at the following links. Also, I will be at the Charleston, South Carolina code camp this coming weekend (10/13) so you can catch me there. Additionally, the ThinqLinq talk is still available on the aspnetpodcasts.com. Links to all three parts of the webcasts are available on the file download pa
I've been working this weekend trying to get my samples for the upcoming Linq In Action book and other demos up and running with the recent Beta 2 drop. Below is a summary of some of the changes that I needed to make. In general, if you are able, I would recommend dumping your data mapping file (dbml) and creating it again at this point as there are lots of changes both to the XML schema and the generated code. If you don't have that luxury, be prepared for a lot of work at this point. Dinesh h
