\nI've been trying out LINQ for SQL and the Entity Data Model (EDM) latest betas with some "non-traditional" data sources. Namely SQL Server 2008 (CTP4) and SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5. I'll cover using SQL Server 2008 CTP in this blog entry, and using SQLCE 3.5 in the next one.\n<\/p>\n
\nUsing SQL Server 2008 data sources doesn't work with the built-in designers in Visual Studio 2008 beta 2. Adding new "LINQ to SQL classes" produces an empty design surface onto which you can drag items from Server Explorer. Problem is, you can't make a Server Explorer Data Connection for a SQL Server 2008 database "only versions 2005 and before are currently supported. The EDM Wizard actually includes "Use this selection to connect to Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or 2005…" when you attempt to create a Data Connection. Not SQL Server 2008. So there's no LINQ to SQL or EDM designer support. Or Server Explorer support, for that matter.\n<\/p>\n
\nBut each of the mapping products comes with a command line tool as well. LINQ to SQL uses SQLMetal, while the EDM uses EDMgen.\n<\/p>\n
\nUsing the command line tools, I was able to generate the appropriate artifacts (and use them) for SQL Server 2008. I can even load the artifacts (.dbml or .edmx) files into the Visual Studio designer after they were generated from the command line and edit them. Very cool.\n<\/p>\n
\nI then did an experiment to see if LINQ to SQL or EDM supports the new data types in SQL Server 2008, namely, the new date\/time-related types and the hierarchyID, which is implemented as a SQLCLR UDT.\n<\/p>\n
\nSQLmetal did not produce an error or warning on the date\/time types, but it did create definitions for the new data types as "NVarChar" with appropriate lengths. Using these definitions in LINQ code prints database-correct values, albeit as strings. Haven't tried an insert\/update\/delete yet. I had less success with hierarchyID, this produces the message:\n<\/p>\n
\nwarning SQM1021: Unable to extract column 'c1' of Table 'dbo.h1' from SqlServer
\nbecause the column's DbType is a user-defined type (UDT).\n<\/p>\n
\nSQLmetal then error'd out and didn't generate a dbml file at all.\n<\/p>\n
\nTrying date\/time-related data types with EDMgen produces errors indicating that the date, time, datetime2, datetimeoffset aren't supported. Neither are SQLCLR UDTs, hierarchyID is reported as date type <unknown>.\n<\/p>\n
\nWell, these are still beta. That's all for now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I've been trying out LINQ for SQL and the Entity Data Model (EDM) latest betas with some "non-traditional" data sources. Namely SQL Server 2008 (CTP4) and SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5. I'll cover using SQL Server 2008 CTP in this blog entry, and using SQLCE 3.5 in the next one. Using SQL Server 2008 data […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-data-access","category-sql-server-2008"],"yoast_head":"\n