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{{Short description|Microsoft .NET Framework component}}
{{redirect|LINQ|other uses|Linq (disambiguation)}}
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{{how-to|date=September 2024}}
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| | website = https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/linq/
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'''Language Integrated Query''' ('''LINQ''', pronounced "link") is a [[Microsoft]] [[.NET Framework]] component that adds native data [[Query language|querying]] capabilities to [[List of CLI languages|.NET languages]], originally released as a major part of [[.NET Framework 3.5]] in 2007.
LINQ extends the language by the addition of query [[Expression (computer science)|expressions]], which are akin to [[SQL]] statements, and can be used to conveniently extract and process data from [[Array data structure|arrays]], enumerable [[class (computer science)|class]]es, [[XML]] documents, [[relational database]]s, and third-party data sources. Other uses, which utilize query expressions as a general framework for readably composing arbitrary computations, include the construction of event handlers<ref name="reactive">{{cite web | url = http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/devlabs/ee794896.aspx | title = Rx framework| date = 10 June 2011}}</ref> or [[Monad (functional programming)|monadic]] [[Parsing|parsers]].<ref name="parscomb">{{cite web | url = http://blogs.msdn.com/lukeh/archive/2007/08/19/monadic-parser-combinators-using-c-3-0.aspx | title = Monadic Parser Combinators using C#3 | access-date = 2009-11-21}}</ref> It also defines a set of method names (called ''standard query operators'', or ''standard sequence operators''), along with translation rules used by the compiler to translate query syntax expressions into expressions using [[Fluent interface|fluent-style]] (called method syntax by Microsoft) with these method names, [[Anonymous function#C.23 lambda expressions|lambda expressions]] and [[anonymous type]]s.
==Architecture ==
Ports of LINQ exist for [[PHP]] ([https://phplinq.codeplex.com/ PHPLinq]), [[JavaScript]] ([https://github.com/mihaifm/linq linq.js]), [[TypeScript]] ([https://github.com/kutyel/linq.ts linq.ts]), and [[ActionScript]] ([http://actionlinq.riaforge.org/ ActionLinq]), although none are strictly equivalent to LINQ in the .NET inspired languages C#, F# and VB.NET (where it is a part of the language, not an external library, and where it often addresses a wider range of needs).{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}▼
▲===Standard Query Operator API===
In what follows, the descriptions of the operators are based on the application of working with collections. Many of the operators take other functions as arguments. These functions may be supplied in the form of a named method or anonymous function.
The set of query [[Operator (programming)|operator]]s defined by LINQ is exposed to the user as the Standard Query Operator (SQO) [[API]]. The query operators supported by the API are:<ref name="sqo">{{cite web | url = http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/8/6/5868081c-68aa-40de-9a45-a3803d8134b8/standard_query_operators.doc | title = Standard Query Operators | publisher = Microsoft | access-date = 2007-11-30}}</ref>
;Select:
:The Select operator performs a [[projection (database)|projection]] on the collection to select interesting aspects of the elements. The user supplies an arbitrary function, in the form of a named or [[Anonymous function|lambda expression]], which projects the data members. The function is passed to the operator as a [[delegate (CLI)|delegate]]. This implements the [[Map (higher-order function)|Map]] higher-order function.▼
▲interesting aspects of the elements. The user supplies an arbitrary function, in the form of a named or [[Anonymous function|lambda expression]], which projects the data members. The function is passed to the operator as a [[delegate (CLI)|delegate]].
;Where:
:The Where operator allows the definition of a set of predicate rules that are evaluated for each object in the collection, while objects that do not match the rule are filtered away. The predicate is supplied to the operator as a delegate. This implements the [[Filter (higher-order function)|Filter]] higher-order function.▼
▲The Where operator allows the definition of a set of predicate rules that are evaluated for each object in the collection, while objects that do not match the rule are filtered away. The predicate is supplied to the operator as a delegate.
;SelectMany:
: For a user-provided mapping from collection elements to collections, semantically two steps are performed. First, every element is mapped to its corresponding collection. Second, the result of the first step is flattened by one level.
▲For a user-provided mapping from collection elements to collections, semantically two steps are performed. First, every element is mapped to its corresponding collection. Second, the result of the first step is flattened by one level. ''Note:'' Select and Where are both implementable in terms of SelectMany, as long as singleton and empty collections are available. The translation rules mentioned above still make it mandatory for a LINQ provider to provide the other two operators.
;Sum / Min / Max / Average:
These operators optionally take a function that retrieves a certain numeric value from each element in the collection and uses it to find the sum, minimum, maximum or average values of all the elements in the collection, respectively. Overloaded versions take no function and act as if the identity is given as the lambda.
;Aggregate:
A generalized Sum / Min / Max. This operator takes a function that specifies how two values are combined to form an intermediate or the final result. Optionally, a starting value can be supplied, enabling the result type of the aggregation to be arbitrary. Furthermore, a finalization function, taking the aggregation result to yet another value, can be supplied. This implement the [[Fold (higher-order function)|Fold]] higher-order function.▼
▲A generalized Sum / Min / Max. This operator takes a function that specifies how two values are combined to form an intermediate or the final result. Optionally, a starting value can be supplied, enabling the result type of the aggregation to be arbitrary. Furthermore, a finalization function, taking the aggregation result to yet another value, can be supplied.
;Join / GroupJoin: The Join operator performs an [[inner join]] on two collections, based on matching keys for objects in each collection. It takes two functions as delegates, one for each collection, that it executes on each object in the collection to extract the key from the object. It also takes another delegate in which the user specifies which data elements, from the two matched elements, should be used to create the resultant object. The GroupJoin operator performs a [[group join]]. Like the Select operator, the results of a join are instantiations of a different class, with all the data members of both the types of the source objects, or a subset of them.
;Take / TakeWhile: The Take operator selects the first n objects from a collection, while the TakeWhile operator, which takes a predicate, selects those objects that match the predicate (stopping at the first object that doesn't match it).
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;Count: The Count operator counts the number of elements in the given collection. An overload taking a predicate, counts the number of elements matching the predicate.
The
* AsEnumerable: Statically types the collection as an <code>IEnumerable<T></code>.<ref name="Enumerable Class">{{cite web|title=Enumerable Class|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.linq.enumerable(v=vs.110).aspx|work=msdn|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=15 February 2014}}</ref>
* AsQueryable: Statically types the collection as an <code>IQueryable<T></code>.
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===Language extensions===
While LINQ is primarily implemented as a [[library (computing)|library]] for .NET Framework 3.5, it also defines optional language extensions that make queries a first-class [[language construct]] and provide [[syntactic sugar]] for writing queries. These language extensions have initially been implemented in [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]] 3.0,<ref name=Skeet>{{cite book |last=Skeet|first=Jon|title= C# in Depth |date=23 March 2019 |publisher= Manning |isbn= 978-1617294532}}</ref>{{rp|75}} [[VB.NET|VB 9.0]], [[F Sharp (programming language)|F#]]<ref name="linq">{{cite web|title=Query Expressions (F#)|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/dotnet/fsharp/language-reference/query-expressions|website=Microsoft Docs|access-date=2012-12-19}}</ref> and [[Oxygene (programming language)|Oxygene]], with other languages like [[Nemerle]] having announced preliminary support. The language extensions include:<ref name="linq1">{{cite web | url = http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb397921.aspx | title = LINQ Framework | access-date = 2007-11-30}}</ref>
*Query syntax: A language is free to choose a query syntax that it will recognize natively. These language keywords must be translated by the compiler to appropriate LINQ method calls.
*Implicitly typed variables: This enhancement allows variables to be declared without specifying their types. The languages C# 3.0<ref name=Skeet/>{{rp|367}} and Oxygene declare them with the <code>var</code> keyword. In VB9.0, the <code>Dim</code> keyword without type declaration accomplishes the same. Such objects are still [[strong typing|strongly typed]]; for these objects the compiler infers the types of variables via [[type inference]], which allows the results of the queries to be specified and defined without declaring the type of the intermediate variables.
*[[Anonymous type]]s: Anonymous types allow classes that contain only data-member declarations to be inferred by the compiler. This is useful for the Select and Join operators, whose result types may differ from the types of the original objects. The compiler uses type inference to determine the fields contained in the classes and generates [[Mutator method|accessors and mutators]] for these fields.
*[[Object
*[[Anonymous function|Lambda expressions]]: Lambda expressions allow predicates and other projection functions to be written inline with a concise syntax, and support full lexical closure. They are captured into parameters as delegates or expression trees depending on the Query Provider.
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<syntaxhighlight lang="csharp">
IEnumerable<MyObject> SomeCollection = /* something here */
var results = from c in SomeCollection▼
where c.SomeProperty < 10▼
select new {c.SomeProperty, c.OtherProperty};▼
foreach (var result in results)▼
▲ where c.SomeProperty < 10
▲ select new {c.SomeProperty, c.OtherProperty};
{
}
</syntaxhighlight>
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<syntaxhighlight lang="csharp">
SomeCollection
.Where(c => c.SomeProperty < 10)
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====LINQ to XML (formerly called XLINQ)====
The LINQ to XML provider converts an XML document to a collection of <code>XElement</code> objects, which are then queried against using the local execution engine that is provided as a part of the implementation of the standard query operator.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://msdn2.microsoft.com/hi-in/library/bb308960(en-us).aspx | title = .NET Language-Integrated Query for XML Data | date = 30 April 2007 | access-date = 2007-11-30}}</ref>
====LINQ to SQL (formerly called DLINQ)====
The LINQ to SQL provider allows LINQ to be used to query [[Microsoft SQL Server]] databases, including [[SQL Server Compact]] databases. Since SQL Server data may reside on a remote server, and because SQL Server has its own query engine, LINQ to SQL does not use the query engine of LINQ. Instead, it converts a LINQ query to a [[SQL]] query that is then sent to SQL Server for processing.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hookedonlinq.com/LINQtoSQL5MinuteOverview.ashx | title = LINQ to SQL | access-date = 2007-11-30 | archive-url = https://archive.
<syntaxhighlight lang="csharp">
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====LINQ to DataSets====
Since the LINQ to SQL provider (above) works only with [[Microsoft SQL Server]] databases, in order to support any generic database, LINQ also includes the LINQ to DataSets. It uses ADO.NET to handle the communication with the database. Once the data is in ADO.NET Datasets, LINQ to DataSets execute queries against these datasets.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hookedonlinq.com/LINQtoDatasets.ashx | title = LINQ to DataSets | access-date = 2007-11-30 | archive-url = https://archive.
==Performance==
{{Update|part=Performance|date=November 2021|reason=The source is old and now performs better than before}}
Non-professional users may struggle with subtleties in the '''LINQ to Objects''' features and syntax. Naive LINQ implementation patterns can lead to a catastrophic degradation of performance.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.codeproject.com/KB/dotnet/LINQ_Performance_Test.aspx
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==PLINQ==
Version 4 of the .NET framework includes [[Parallel Extensions|PLINQ]], or ''Parallel LINQ'', a [[parallel computing|parallel]] execution engine for LINQ queries. It defines the <code>ParallelQuery<T></code> class. Any implementation of the <code>IEnumerable<T></code> interface can take advantage of the PLINQ engine by calling the
== Predecessor languages ==
Many of the concepts that LINQ introduced were originally tested in Microsoft's '''Cω''' research project, formerly known by the [[codename]]s '''X#''' (X Sharp) and '''Xen'''. It was renamed to Cω after '''Polyphonic C#''' (another research language based on [[join calculus]] principles) was integrated into it.
Cω attempts to make datastores (such as [[databases]] and [[XML]] documents) accessible with the same ease and [[type safety]] as traditional types like [[String (computer science)|strings]] and [[Array data type|arrays]]. Many of these ideas were inherited from an earlier incubation project within the WebData XML team called X# and Xen. Cω also includes new constructs to support [[concurrent programming]]; these features were largely derived from the earlier Polyphonic C# project.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Eichert |first1=Steve |title=LINQ in Action |last2=Wooley |first2=James B. |last3=Marguerie |first3=Fabrice |publisher=Manning |year=2008 |isbn=9781638354628 |pages=56–57 (as reported in the Google Books search link - the book does not have page numbers)}}</ref>
First available in 2004 as a compiler preview, Cω's features were subsequently used by Microsoft in the creation of the LINQ features released in 2007 in .NET version 3.5<ref>[http://tomasp.net/articles/csharp3-concepts.aspx Concepts behind the C# 3.0 language | Articles | TomasP.Net] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212035001/http://tomasp.net/articles/csharp3-concepts.aspx|date=2007-02-12}}</ref> The concurrency constructs have also been released in a slightly modified form as a library, named [[Joins (concurrency library)|''Joins Concurrency Library'']], for [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]] and other .NET languages by [[Microsoft Research]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Joins Concurrency Library |url=http://research.microsoft.com/research/pubs/view.aspx?type=inproceedings&id=2005 |access-date=2007-06-08}}</ref>
== Ports ==
▲Ports of LINQ exist for [[PHP]] ([https://phplinq.codeplex.com/ PHPLinq] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119124921/https://phplinq.codeplex.com/ |date=2018-01-19 }}), [[JavaScript]] ([https://github.com/mihaifm/linq linq.js]), [[TypeScript]] ([https://github.com/kutyel/linq.ts linq.ts]), and [[ActionScript]] ([http://actionlinq.riaforge.org/ ActionLinq] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225143803/http://actionlinq.riaforge.org/ |date=2018-12-25 }}), and C++ ([https://github.com/seijikun/CXXIter CXXIter]), although none are strictly equivalent to LINQ in the .NET inspired languages C#, F# and VB.NET (where it is a part of the language, not an external library, and where it often addresses a wider range of needs).{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
==See also==
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* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa904594.aspx Official Microsoft LINQ Project]
* [http://www.developerfusion.com/article/8250/linq-to-objects-for-the-net-developer/ LINQ to Objects for the .NET developer]
* [https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/b0ed008e-b4f6-47f6-8b43-9838b94f5ced/what-is-the-future-of-linq-to-sql-as-of-2016?forum=linqtosql Future of LINQ to SQL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721231257/https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/b0ed008e-b4f6-47f6-8b43-9838b94f5ced/what-is-the-future-of-linq-to-sql-as-of-2016?forum=linqtosql |date=2020-07-21 }}
* [http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/383749/How-does-it-work-in-Csharp-Part-3-Csharp-LINQ-in-d How does it work in C#? - Part 3 (C# LINQ in detail)]
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