Direct Access to SQL with Silverlight.

Question

I am new to .NET in general, so I hope this isn't too n00b of a question. I'm looking to write a Silverlight app that interacts with a MSSQL DB using LINQ. Do I absolutely, positively have to use a seperate WCF service? It seems there are security implications, but this would be on a completely trusted network.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Here is a question with great answers about this subject

Answer 2

In short the answer is no, you absolutely, positively cannot access a SQL database from Silverlight. You need to use WCF to talk to a server which can then run some SQL queries. If you want to use LINQ to SQL directly that's all you need. If you're considering an Entity Framework backend you can use .NET RIA Services or ADO.NET Data Services to make updating and tracking changes on the client side easier. My personal favorite is .NET RIA Services as it has a rich feature set. Good luck!