The Benefits of Using LINQ with Objects in C#

What are the benefits of using LINQ with objects in C#?

Language Integrated Query, or LINQ, is a Microsoft programming technique which serves as a .NET language extension that allows for data retrieval from various sources, including collections, XML documents, and databases. This, in turn, makes code more readable, maintainable and compact, and also offers a range of other benefits to your projects.

Hence, today I’ve decided to share the most prevalent benefits of utilising LINQ with objects in C#, as opposed to the traditional for each loop, and how exactly your code could be improved by integrating this increasingly popular programming technique.

No need to learn a new language

One of the most obvious benefits to using LINQ is that the language itself is highly similar to SQL (Structured Query Language), so you most likely won’t need to learn any additional language to be able to use LINQ. This means that there’s less of a learning curve for both experienced and newer developers, and allows LINQ to be easily picked up and implemented.

It’s a time-saver

The primary reason that LINQ was introduced with C# 3.0 was to reduce the amount of coding that object retrieval required, in comparison to more traditional for each loops, and it is largely due to this reason that LINQ has gained such popularity within the field. Scaling back on the amount of code needed to retrieve objects is, ultimately, hugely time-saving for developers, and allows for a more productive use of our time.

It’s more accessible

In keeping with the two above points, then, a significant benefit of using LINQ with objects is that, due to its similarity to SQL language and the much shorter code it produces, this method is undeniably far more readable than more traditional or historic alternatives. This inevitably means that LINQ is a great choice for working within a team, as code can be more easily read and therefore more easily maintained, even between large scale software development teams.

Error check before run-time?

Finally, an important benefit of using LINQ with objects is that it provides both IntelliSense for generic collections, and also type checking of objects at compile time, so developers don’t have to go through the process of finding mistakes or errors in query during the run-time, and thus making the debugging process much easier and less time-consuming.

In summary, then, it’s clear to see that there are a substantial range of benefits to using LINQ with objects in C#, from ease of use to its time-saving and accessibility capabilities. These are likely the predominant reasons that LINQ continues to be a popular option when it comes to object retrieval, as opposed to the more traditional technique of using for each loops, and why it is imperative that you consider including it in your own coding.?