In LINQPad can you access SYSOBJECTS using LINQ?

Question

In LINQPad is there any way to access either the SYSOBJECTS table or the various INFORMATION_SCHEMA.xxx views using LINQ?

I spend a lot of time searching through our huge company database for partial names as there are too many tables and Stored Procedures to remember the names of them all.

I know I can enter and run SQL in LINQPad but I would like to do this in LINQ instead of SQL as LINQ is more fun :)

Thanks

Xanthalas

Answer 1

from d in Databases select d

when database connection in LINQPad points to master database.

Answer 2

create a new table with the contents of SYSOBJECTS and then search within the new table

select * into SYSOBJECTS_COPY from SYS.OBJECTS

from o in SYSOBJECTS_COPY.AsEnumerable() where Regex.IsMatch( d.Name, "partialName", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase ) select o

Answer 3

You can also embed SQL into your LINQ statements like so:

void Main()
{
    var matches = this.ExecuteQuery<SysObject>("SELECT name, type_desc AS "
                + "TypeDesc FROM [sys].[objects]");

    foreach(var match in matches)
        Console.WriteLine("{0,-30}{1}", (match.Name + ":"), match.TypeDesc);
}

// Define other methods and classes here
class SysObject
{
    public string Name;
    public string TypeDesc;
    // etc...
}

By default LinqPad doesn't use a monospaced font for results, but you can easily change it by pasting the following bit of css into "Edit -> Preferences -> Results -> Launch Editor"

body { font-family: Consolas, monospace; }