Language Integrated Query

Language Integrated Query (LINQ, pronounced "link") is a Microsoft .NET Framework component that adds native data querying capabilities to .NET languages, originally released as a major part of .NET Framework 3.5 in 2007. LINQ extends the language by the addition of query expressions, which are akin to SQL statements, and can be used to conveniently extract and process data from arrays, enumerable classes, XML documents, relational databases, 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 or monadic parsers. 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-style (called method syntax by Microsoft) with these method names, lambda expressions and anonymous types. Ports of LINQ exist for PHP (PHPLinq), JavaScript (linq.js), TypeScript (linq.ts), and ActionScript (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). 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 operators defined by LINQ is exposed to the user as the Standard Query Operator (SQO) API. The query operators supported by the API are: Select The Select operator performs a projection on the collection to select interesting aspects of the elements. The user supplies an arbitrary function, in the form of a named or lambda expression, which projects the data members. The function is passed to the operator as a delegate.