LINQPad Essential Training

Course details

As a lightweight, powerful code editor and code runner, LINQPad can save a lot of time in your development workflow. Instructor Walt Ritscher walks you through installing and setting up LINQPad. Then start learning LINQPad basics such as adding course files, exploring the editors that LINQPad offers, running queries, and adding references. Walt goes into more detail on the dump tool, explaining topics like the dump helper, excluding and including columns, and changing output to grid control. Next, examine LINQ query examples. See how to format the output. Learn how to display the difference between two objects, snapshot the state of an object, and cache data between query runs. Walt also demonstrates how to use LINQPad as a code scratchpad. Then study how to debug query code in LINQPad. Learn how to find content in files, how to add visualizations to the result windows, and how to use the uncapsulate method.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Get up and running with LINQPad
02 - Install LINQPad
03 - What you should know
04 - Get the code on GitHub

1. Getting Started with LINQPad

05 - The case for a lightweight editor
06 - Quick tour of the LINQPad editor
07 - Use the course files in LINQPad

2. LINQPad Basics

08 - Explore the expression editor
09 - Explore the statements editor
10 - Run simple LINQ query expressions
11 - Explore the programs editor
12 - Add references to libraries
13 - Understand the .linq file format
14 - Explore the WebColors data source

3. More about the Dump Feature

15 - WriteLine vs. the Dump extension method
16 - Understand the Dump helper
17 - Create descriptive output with the Dump header
18 - Run a selected area of code
19 - Exclude and include columns
20 - Repeat table headers
21 - Change output to grid control

4. LINQ Query Examples

22 - What sources are valid for LINQ to Objects
23 - Basic LINQ query operators
24 - Write LINQ query expressions
25 - Connect to a database
26 - Query the database with SQL
27 - Use the DataContext
28 - Query the database with a LINQ expression
29 - Configure an XML file as a data source
30 - Query the XML file
31 - Filter by attributes

5. Formatting Output

32 - Use a fixed-width font in the results pane
33 - Change the appearance with custom CSS
34 - Side by side output
35 - Highlight output

6. Utilities and Techniques

36 - Display difference between two objects
37 - Snapshot the state of an object for comparison
38 - Cache data between query runs

7. Use as a Code Scratchpad

39 - Write your own extensions
40 - Use references and NuGet packages
41 - How to use namespaces
42 - View any referenced class code with ILSpy

8. Dubugging

43 - Debugging and break points
44 - The debug Locals and Watch windows

9. Tips and Other Features

45 - Find in files
46 - Visualize data with the Chart extension method
47 - Explore the LINQPad samples
48 - Replace reflection with the Uncapsulate method
49 - The rest of LINQPad

Conclusion

50 - Next steps