Introduction

• Review of object-oriented programming
• Implementing to an interface
• Existing data-access technologies
• Generic and nongeneric collections

Harnessing C# Language Features

Language shortcuts

• Applying auto-implemented properties
• Benefiting from implied-type declaration

Streamlining program logic

• Instantiating entity objects
• Simplifying construction with object initialisers
• Anonymous object construction

Employing Extension Methods for Middle-Tier Data Manipulation

Filtering and ordering data with lambda expressions

• Constructing lambda expressions
• Comparing delegates and lambda expressions
• Calling Count, Reverse, Union, Except and other extension methods
• Passing types and functionality into methods

Applying extended features

• Making code more flexible with delegates
• Parameterising delegates and lambda expressions
• Streamlining code with Func<T,R> generic delegates

Leveraging LINQ Query Keywords

Syntax and semantics

• Coding LINQ queries
• Ordering data and objects
• Filtering using from, where, orderby and group

Iterating collections

• Interfacing between C# and LINQ using IEnumerable<T>
• Converting from IEnumerable<T> to List<T>

Adapting LINQ and EF

Comparing ADO.NET with LINQ

• DataSet objects vs. generic lists
• SqlDataReader vs. IEnumerable<T>
• Processing data-tier information

Connecting to and reading from a database

• Establishing an ObjectContext
• Attaching to databases via the Entity Framework (EF)
• Correlating entity classes and data tables
• Preserving the object-oriented paradigm

The Object Relational Designer tool

• Mapping data tables to entity classes
• Establishing inheritance relationships
• Importing stored procedures

Updating a database

• Inserting, updating and deleting data
• Error handling and exceptions
• Committing and rolling back transactions

Enumerations and Generic Classes

Examining enum

• Comparing IEnumerable<T> and IEnumerator<T>
• Generating dynamic enumeration
• The yield keyword

Writing generic classes

• Reducing duplicate classes
• Implementing a generic fast enumerator

Processing Data with LINQ Queries

Manipulating data

• Combining and aggregating similar data with group
• Performing inner, outer and group joins
• Generating data subsets with the into clause

Advanced LINQ techniques

• Creating anonymous query results
• Retrieving composite views using nested from clauses
• Enhancing LINQ queries using delegates and lambda expressions

Applying LINQ to XML

Exploiting the XML Namespace

• Loading XML dynamically via the Web
• Creating and saving XElement content

Processing XML

• Retrieving the document, elements and attributes
• Parsing an XML document using LINQ