Summary

Defining LINQ is a difficult task. LINQ is a conglomerate of loosely labeled technologies released in tandem with the .NET Framework 3.5 and further expanded in .NET Framework 4. The other complexity of answering the question of “What is LINQ?” is that it’s a moving target. LINQ is built using an open and extensible architecture, and new operators and data sources can be added by anyone.

One point is clear: LINQ will change the approach to writing data-driven applications. Code will be simpler, often faster, and easier to read. There is no inherent downside to using the LINQ features; it is simply the next installment of how the C# and VB.Net languages are being improved to support tomorrow’s coding challenges.