C# 3 and LINQ

[Chris]

I am a little confused. I have been reading about LINQ and it seems to imply
LINQ is available in C# 3 but not in Visual Studio until the next release. I
am a VB.net programmer but would still like to know how, if possible, do I
go about using LINQ. When they say it won't be available until Visual Studio
2007 does that mean there won't be out of the box support for it (e.g.
controls built for it) but you can use the classes if you have the .net 3.0
framework. Having a programmatic way of contstucting dynamic queries would
solve so many problems I want to get started as soon as possible. Regards,
Chris.

 

[Karl Seguin [MVP]]

C# 3.0 and the .NET Framework 3.0 are very separate things.

Forget about the .NET framework 3.0...it's a bunch of classes for WinFX
(Avalon) programming. In other words, it's for WinForm development only.

The next version of C#, VB.NET and Visual Studio .NET is code-named Orcas.
The big feature is Orcas is LINQ. Maybe they'll call it .NET Framework
4.0...I don't know..but it will fully (VB.NET, VS.NET, C#) support LINQ.

There's an Orcas Community Preview which was just released too.

Karl

 

[bruce barker]

this is because c# 3.0 and linq is still in beta.

..net 3.0 is the 2.0 framework with work flow components (winfx). it does
not have the new clr or version of c# and vb. it probably should have
been named .net 2.1

if you want to use c# 3.0 and linq, then download orcas and the new
compilers.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[Chris]

What exactly is C# 3 then and why are there books out on how program LINQ in
it. Is it a CTP? Regards, Chris.

 

[Guest]

If you want something LINQ-ish now, have a look at EntitySpaces ORM
framework. I am a fan.
http://www.entityspaces.net/blog/EntitySpacesAndLINQAnIntroductionPart1.aspx

The developers have promised some level of compatibilty with LINQ on
release, and ES "added the ability to use the LINQ syntax against
EntitySpaces collections as of our 1.5 release."

If someone here is extremely versed in LINQ things, I'd be super-interested
to know in what ways, if any, LINQ will exceed ORM frameworks like
EntitySpaces. Unlike its free predacessor, ES supports hierarchical data
models.

-KF

 

[Cowboy \(Gregory A. Beamer\)]

To fully take advantage of the model, you have to wait until ADO.NET vNext,
which is .NET Framework 3.5.

 

[Chris]

When is this likely to be released?

To fully take advantage of the model, you have to wait until ADO.NET
vNext, which is .NET Framework 3.5.

 

[bruce barker]

the current plan is late 2007, but it may slip to 2008. There is no
offical release date.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)