C# 3.0 Language Features and LINQ Heroes Happen Here Presentation

Yesterday we had our Heroes Happen Here Launch Event in Sarasota, Florida. I presented the new language features in C# 3.0 as well as LINQ. It was rather cool to give this presentation, because a couple weeks earlier I was answering questions and showing demos on these same topics in The Learning Center at TechEd 2008 in Orlando.

There was a lot of material to cover in an hour, but we got through it all with good participation:

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  Object and Collection Initializers


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  Automatically Implemented Properties


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  Partial Methods


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  Implicitly Typed Local Variables


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  Anonymous Types


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  Extension Methods


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  Lambda Expressions and Closures


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  Query Expressions

For LINQ I showed several demos solving the same challenge using the various flavors of LINQ:

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  LINQ To Objects


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  LINQ To XML


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  LINQ To SQL


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  LINQ To DataSets


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  LINQ To Entities


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  ASP.NET Dynamic Data using LINQ To SQL

For those looking for resources on C# 3.0, I would first check out the C# Language Section on MSDN, which has links to the language specification, downloadable samples, keywords, etc. If you don’t have Visual Studio, you can download the Visual C# 2008 Express Edition for free.

For LINQ samples, check out the 101 LINQ Examples on MSDN.

If you are interested in books, I reviewed 4 that I really enjoyed and highly recommend on C# and LINQ:

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  Accelerated C# 2008


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  C# in Depth


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  LINQ in Action


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  Pro LINQ

If you are looking for bite-sized examples on C# 3.0, I put together a series of C# 3.0 Language Samples when I was learning the new C# 3.0 Language Features myself:

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  Extension Methods in C# 3.0 – C# Tutorials and Examples


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  Lambda Expressions Extension Methods and LINQ in C# 3.0 – C#3.0 Tutorials and Examples


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  C# 3.0 Feature – Object Initialization Expressions – C# 3.0 Examples and Tutorials


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  Anonymous Types in C# 3.0 Needed for LINQ


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  Implicitly Typed Local Variables in C# 3.0 – The var Keyword


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  Automatically Implemented Properties – Visual Studio Orcas C# Compiler – C# 3.0


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  Query Expression Translation in C# 3.0 – C# 3.0 Expression Queries and LINQ


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  Expression Trees in C# 3.0 – C# 3.0 Examples and Tutorials


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  C# 3.0 Features – C# 3.0 Examples – Query Expressions – Anonymous Types – Lamba Expressions – Extension Methods


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  Expression Trees C# 3.0 Part II – Building Expression Trees – C# 3.0 Examples and Tutorials


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  C# and VB Partial Methods in Orcas Beta 2 for Code Generation – Business Object Validation Example


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  etc…

I created some LINQ To SQL Tutorials as well. As I mentioned at the presentation, check out Ian Cooper’s LINQ To SQL Series. Matt Warren has a great series of articles on building an IQueryable Provider for insight on how LINQ to SQL works.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Heroes Happen Here Event in Sarasota.