Doesn't Linq to SQL miss the point? Aren't ORM-mappers (SubSonic, etc.) sub-optimal solutions?

Question

I\'d like the community\'s take on some thoughts I\'ve had about Linq to Sql and other ORM mappers.

I like Linq to Sql and the idea of expressing data access logic (

Answer 1

Most people have missed an essential point: in most cases, you are significantly more productive when querying in LINQ than in SQL. I've written an article on why this is so.

When I set the LINQPad Challenge, I wasn't joking: I do nearly all of my ad-hoc querying in LINQ because most queries can be written more quickly and reliably in LINQ than in SQL. I've also designed and worked on large business applications using LINQ to SQL and seen a major gains in productivity. This is not "architecture astronaut" stuff - LINQ to SQL is a productive and practical technology that drives this very site.

The biggest hindrance with LINQ is failing to properly learn it. I've seen so many LINQ queries that are horrible transliterations of SQL queries to back this up. If you write LINQ queries using only your knowledge of SQL, the end result can only be the same - or worse - than SQL.