How can I set the RecordCount, TOP and NOLOCK with LINQ?

Question

Is it possible to write a select statement that also has NOLOCK and TOP in LINQ?

What about setting RowCount before the query?

Answer 1

Adding .Take(5) to your query is the same as Top 5

Adding .Skip(5) will start returning results on row 6

Not sure how you would add a NOLOCK to a query.

Answer 2

Here's a good article dealing with TransactionScope:

http://www.madprops.org/blog/linq-to-sql-and-nolock-hints/

Answer 3

TGnat notes how to do TOP (via .Take(n)). However, there is no inbuilt way of adding granular hints (etc) like (NOLOCK) to specific tables. There are a few ways of getting around this:

• write a stored procedure and expose it via the data-context
• write a udf and expose it via the data-context
• use ExecuteQuery with (parameterized) TSQL that has a NOLOCK

Of the 3, the UDF would get my vote:

• it doesn't leave you with literal queries in the C#
• the metadata is strongly defined
• it is composable (with .Skip/.Take/.Where etc)