Telerik LINQ to M
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The
SQL Server Modeling (formerly "Oslo") is a new model driven development paradigm. Developers can model their applications using the new
M language. M allows you to define a structure for your data as well as represent it in graph based values. Representing values in the M language is very similar to JSON, which will allow you to represent your data in name/value pairs. Here is an example of M values in action:
People
{
{ Id=>1, Name=>"Steve", Age=>36},
{ Id=>2, Name=>"Mike", Age=>29}
}
Developers have gotten very excited over the past few months about
M languages. M Languages allows the developer to create a
Domain Specific Language (DSL). You can create a DSL for the above “schema” of people that allows the developer to write in plain text:
“Create two people named Steve and Mike age 36 and 29.”
Using .NET and the Oslo May CTP you can then transform (much like XSLT) the above natural language text into M values:
People
{
{ Id=>1, Name=>"Steve", Age=>36},
{ Id=>2, Name=>"Mike", Age=>29}
}
The problem is that parsing these values is sometimes difficult in .NET. What we need is LINQ to M Values. Unfortunately Microsoft has not included that in the Oslo SDK for us. Enter the Telerik LINQ to M tool.
Telerik’s
Mehfuz Hossain created the
LINQ Extender (available on CodePlex). At the MVP summit while showing Telerik’s Chief Strategy Officer
Stephen Forte his implementation of the LINQ Extender for a
LINQ to Flickr implementation, Mehfuz and Stephen got to work on a LINQ to M implementation.
The Telerik LINQ to M implementation allows the developer to use pure LINQ statements with blocks of M values, pure text or the results of a transformed DSL.
Once you set a reference to the Telerik.M.Core.dll, you can execute pure typed or untyped LINQ commands and even bind to .NET controls (and Telerik RAD controls as well!)
Download the Telerik LINQ to M implementation and start to query your M values today. Take a look at the sample application included for some guidance as well as come more complex LINQ statements.
Tags:
Oslo