README.TXT FILE FOR THE VB-LINQ\VbLinqDemo.sln PROJECT FROM "Visual Studio Magazne," April 2006

Purpose: This project demonstrates features of the VB LINQ Technical Preview (January 2006)
         and its DLinq and XLinq libraries. Relatively large DLinq DataContexts and XLinq                  XDocuments and XElements are used to demonstrate issues with this technical preview.

Prerequisites: 1. Visual Studio 2005 Professional or higher or VB Express 2005.
               2. The Northwind sample database installed to a local SQL Server 200+
                  instance. You must modify the NwindConn ConnectionString to point to
                  the instance if you use SQL Server Express or a remote database instance.
               3. The VB LINQ Technical Preview (January 2006) installed from the link at
                  http://msdn.microsoft.com/VBasic/Future/. Here's the download URL:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/3/1/b3141ee3-4a13-4061-a96e-4ae3c37ea0e0/LINQ%20VB%20Preview%20(Jan%202006).msi

Installing the VB LINQ Technical Preview: Running the installer adds a VB LINQ Preview node to 
your Programs menu; creates and populates a \Program Files\VB LINQ Preview folder with a 
Readme.htm file and Bin, Docs, and Samples subfolders. It also replaces the RTM version 
(8.0.50727.42) of the VB compiler with the LINQ-enabled release (8.0.50926.00); and adds LINQ 
Windows Application, LINQ Console Application, and LINQ Class Library templates to the New 
Project dialogs Visual Basic Templates pane. Updated System.Query.dll, System.Data.Dlinq.dll, 
and System.Xml.Xlinq.dll assemblies provide the namespaces for required LINQ, DLinq, and XLinq 
references. The VB LINQ upgrade runs side-by-side with and doesnt affect the November 2005 C# 
LINQ Preview and sample applications for the VS 2005 RTM version.

BE SURE TO READ THE TECHNICAL PREVIEW'S README.HTM FILE!
                 
Installing the sample project's files: Unzip (with the Use Folder Names check box marked) the 
VS0604.zip fiel downloaded from the FTPOnline Web site. This creates a \VB-LINQ\VbLinqDemo 
project folder on the current drive. Future new or upgraded VB LINQ CTP projects will be 
installed in subfolders of the \VB-LINQ folder.

Running the project examples: The start-up form (frmVbDlinqGrids) demonstrates databinding of 
DataContext entities. You can add a new customer, order, and three order details, edit the 
added items, and delete them without affecting the original Northwind sample database.

In the secondary form (frmVbLinqDemo), you can do the following:

1. Click the Literal XML (Namespaces) button to demonstrate namespace support by XML elements 
generated by XLinq literals.

2. Click the Literal XML (from DLinq) button to demonstrate use of XML literals to generate a 
complex, hierarchicalX ML document that obtains element values from DLinq entities.

3. Click the Create Nwind XML Files button to demonstrate creating (and saving) individual XML
documents from DLinq entities, select statements and iterator code for extracting values from 
XML documents, and the difference in performance between joins and nested iterators with 
in-memory XDocument objects.

4. Click the Populate Nwind Objects button to demonstrate creating instances of LINQ application
objects from DLinq entities, select statements and iterator code for extracting values from 
objects, and the difference in performance between joins and nested iterators with in-memory 
application objects (slower than for in-memory XML documents).

5. Click the XML Doc from Joins button to demonstrate creating a complex, hierarchical XDocument
from joins between DLinq entities and XLinq XElement values.

6. Questions and comments: Roger_Jennings@compuserve.com.    
