LinqPad’s Missing Linq - LINQtoCSV at FantasticFreeware.com

LINQPad is a fantastic freeware application that lets you interactively query SQL databases using LINQ (Language Integrated Query).

In this brave new world where LINQ will become more popular an will be broadly adopted by the .NET community it will become very important to become fluent with your use of LINQ. One way to accomplish this is by replacing your use of SQL Management Studio for interactively querying SQL databases with LINQPad.

According the the LINQPad website you can "Kiss goodbye to SQL Management Studio !". Does LINQPad replace SQL Management Studio for interactively querying SQL databases?

Until I found Matt Perdeck's LINQ to CSV library an easy to use library to read and write CSV and tab delimited files with LINQ queries, I would have said LINQPad is not ready.

In my opinion there are only two reasons not to use LINQPad and both problems are solved by LINQtoCSV.

LINQPad lacks the ability to export query results to a csv file.
LINQPad's output is limited to 1000 Records.\

Here's how to configure LINQPad to use LINQtoCSV.

Step 1: Download LINQtoCSV and copy to the folder of you choice.

Step 2: Add "LINQtoCSV.dll" Assembly Reference to Tab called "Additional References" (Query >> Advanced Properties) or (F4)

Step 3: Add "LINQtoCSV" Namespace Reference to Tab called "Additional Namespace Imports"

Step 4: Press the Set as default for new queries button and close the window.

Step 5: Set Query Type to C# Statement(s)

Step 6: Add standard LINQtoCSV code to your Query.

//Initialize LINQtoCSV
CsvFileDescription outputFileDescription = new CsvFileDescription
{
SeparatorChar = ',',
FirstLineHasColumnNames = true,
};

CsvContext cc = new CsvContext();

//Your LINQ Statement
var products = from p in Products
select p;

//Dump Results of LINQ Statement
products.Dump();

//Write LINQtoCSV File
cc.Write(products,@"c:\1111\products.csv", outputFileDescription);

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