Dig into LINQ -- and transform the way you work with data.

With LINQ, you can query data from a variety of sources -- including databases, objects, and XML files -- directly from Microsoft Visual Basic® or C#. Guided by data-access experts who've worked in depth with LINQ and the Microsoft development teams, you'll learn how .NET Framework 4 implements LINQ, and how to exploit it. Clear examples show you how to deliver your own data-access solutions faster and with leaner code.

Discover how to:

Use LINQ to query databases, object collections, arrays, XML, Microsoft Excel® files, and other sources Apply LINQ best practices to build data-enabled .NET applications and services Manipulate data in a relational database with ADO.NET Entity Framework or LINQ to SQL Read, write, and manage XML content more efficiently with LINQ to XML Extend LINQ to support additional data sources by creating custom operators and providers Examine other implementations, such as LINQ to SharePoint® Use LINQ within the data, business, and service layers of a distributed application Get code samples on the Web

About the Author

Paolo Pialorsi is a consultant, trainer, and author who specializes in developing distributed applications architectures and Microsoft SharePoint enterprise solutions. He is a founder of DevLeap, a company focused on providing content and consulting to professional developers. Paolo wrote "Programming Microsoft LINQ" and "Introducing Microsoft LINQ" both published by Microsoft Press, and is the author of three books in Italian language about XML and Web Services. He is also a regular speaker at industry conferences.

Marco Russo is a founder of DevLeap. He is a regular contributor to developer user communities and is an avid blogger on Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence and other Microsoft technologies. Marco provides consulting and training to professional developers on the Microsoft .NET Framework and Microsoft SQL Server. He wrote "Programming Microsoft LINQ" and "Introducing Microsoft LINQ" with Paolo Pialorsi, "Expert Cube Development with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services" with Alberto Ferrari and Chris Webb, and is the author of two books in Italian about C# and the common language runtime.