Debug LINQ with LINQ Insight - Execute Queries at Design-time!

LINQ Insight allows you to execute your queries at design-time. That means, you don't need to start debugging your application and navigate to the query to test it, just write your queries and execute them right from your code, then view SQL and data without leaving Visual Studio!

LINQ Insight supports both usual LINQ queries and queries through extension methods. It also supports anonymous queries, for example, with immediate ToList calls.

LINQ Insight is fully integrated into Visual Studio - you don't need to run external applications and enter your queries to them. It detects the connection string and the context used automatically.

With LINQ Insight there is no more need in tedious debugging to check LINQ queries.

Data

With LINQ Insight you can preview data, returned for LINQ queries. The returned data is displayed in a grid, where you can sort and group, and filter this data. LINQ Insight even allows you to edit data for LINQ to SQL, LINQ to Entities, and LinqConnect.

SQL

For LINQ to SQL, LINQ to Entities, LINQ to NHibernate, and LinqConnect, LINQ Insight displays the SQL generated for the query. You can also see the parameter values used if the SQL uses parameters.

Parameters

With LINQ Insight you don't need to replace variables in the query code with constants. LINQ Insight detects these variables and their types, and replaces them with parameters. You will be asked to enter values for them when you execute this query first time.

Connection String

In most cases LINQ Insight detects the connection string used by a query automatically, however you can always specify it manually in a convenient editor.

Grouping Data

To group the data by any column, drag the column header you want the data to be grouped by to the Group By Box panel.

Filtering Data

You can easily filter data by entering the filter string to the Filter box on the LINQ Interactive window toolbar. LINQ Interactive window will display only rows containing the entered string and highlight the occurrences of the string.

Viewing Related Data

LINQ Insight also offers you a convenient way to browse the related objects. You may either click the drop-down arrow in the cell with this property, to view its contents in a new grid without hiding the original data, or click the underlined object (or collection) property in the grid, and the grid will be filled with the contents of this property.

Editing Data

LINQ Insight allows you to edit data, returned by LINQ to SQL, LINQ to Entities, and LinqConnect queries. All the data updating operations are performed through the ORM. You can edit several objects and then apply changes or discard them.