info@blackslatesoftware.com

l

Request A Quote

Planning & Requirement Analysis

Understanding the needs of the users and stakeholders, defining the scope of the project, and creating a plan that outlines the project’s goals, timeline, resources, and potential risks is just one area in which we specialize.

Architecture & Design

System Structure & User Interface

Creating a high-level architecture and design for the software system is how we help. This includes defining the structure, components, interactions, and interfaces of the system.

Implementation and Development

We help you write the actual code that makes up the software, based on the design specifications. This involves selecting appropriate programming languages, coding standards, and development practices.

Quality Assurance

Quality – Reliability – Security

Our experienced consultants help you implemented practices and processes that ensure the software’s quality, reliability, security, and compliance meets industry standards.

Testing

Manual & Automated

Our experts help you thoroughly testing the software to identify and fix bugs, ensure it meets the requirements, and functions as intended. Testing includes unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing,

Version Control and Collaboration

We help you use version control systems (e.g., Git) to manage changes to the codebase, enabling collaboration among developers and tracking the history of code modifications so your knowledge base stays in one place.

Documentation

Tutorials — How-To — Technical

We help you create comprehensive documentation that explains the software’s functionality, architecture, APIs, and usage instructions to help you facilitate easier understanding and maintenance of the software.

Deployment

Release – Backup – Migration

We help you deploy new and updated software to production environments, ensuring it can handle real-world usage, performance demands, and scalability requirements. This can also include migration and integration services.

Complete Services – Modernization, Process Automation (BPA), Framework Modularization & Microservices, API Customization, Web Framework Development (WFD) & More!

About Black Slate

Award Winning Consulting Since 1991

We provide proven co-development and project services that modernize, design, and create new architecture and applications that remove manual tasks, collect and format data for use, and help you determine the right framework or service-based solution for you and your team.
Healthcare IT Case Study

Decision-Maker Insights

Thought Leadership For Leaders

We’ve taken notes since 1991 and understand the difficulties associated with a software project. On this page you will find articles on how to successfully manage scope creep, how to select and work with an IT consulting firm, and the pillars of software development success.

Blog | From The Field

Technical Insights

Our technical blog is one of the primary reasons our clients hire us to help them update or pivot to an new technology. Proof that your partner is proficient and can communicate is essential when taking on a project that has your name on it and has a lasting impact.

Agile Resource Library

Development That Gets To Work

Everything you need to know about Agile in a working environment, from project roles, how progress is measured, reasons it can struggle to the key traits of a successful agile leader and a complete journey from agile transformation through DevOps to digital transformation.
Healthcare IT Case Study

Engaging Software Careers With A Team That Collaborates And Likes What It Does!

Black Slate is growing! Let Black Slate help you find your dream job in software development. Our extensive list of software careers focuses on quality. Consider one of our many software careers and come along with us as we look to another record-breaking year of growth, client satisfaction, and exciting projects with great people working by your side.

Join A Team of
Front-to-Back
Desktop-to-Mobile
Full-Stack
Azure & AWS
Custom Software Development
Professionals!

Setting Up LINQPad Toolset To Assist In Visualization And Manipulation of SQL Queries And Backend Data

by | Sep 14, 2022 | .NET, Back End, From The Field, LINQPad, SQL | 0 comments

Setting Up LINQPad Toolset To Assist In Visualization And Manipulation of SQL Queries And Backend Data

The purpose of this article is to describe the steps necessary to setup the LINQPad toolset to assist in visualization and manipulation of SQL queries and backend data.

In this Article we will be creating our own database to interact with LinqPad

The Following steps will be involved:

      • Installing LINQPad
      • Connecting LINQPad to our C#.NET database.
      • Implementing queries
      • Understanding the data visualization

To Begin: Installation

 

Before beginning this tutorial, be sure to download LINQPad to your computer.
  • Download LINQPad

    • LinqPad is a free tool with multiple priced tiers.

    Installation

    I have found this tool to be very helpful for learning about backend operations from simple queries that you could use for your API calls, to writing triggers, unit tests, and more difficult backend concepts.

    For this example I will be using the version 7 with support for .NET 6. You may be prompted to install .NET 6, which is necessary for the program to run if you do not have it already installed.

    Once you open LINQPad, you may choose to create a new database connection, or use the Demo database. This example will be using the Demo database but I will go over connecting to another database.

    Creating a connection to a database

    Begin by selecting to add a connection and choose a data context that is relevant to your project. You can choose to have the context built automatically, or a specific data context.

    I have chosen Entity Framework Core for my example.

    You must fill out the form with the essential data.
      • For specifying the Server IP, you can either use a period or localhost to specify localhost, but if your server is somewhere else, specify the IP.

      • You can use Windows Authentication or SQL Server authentication by toggling the Use Windows Authentication and using the User ID and Password fields below.

      • The entire connection string is visible below if needed.

      • Test the connection below and do not proceed until there is a success message.

    Select OK when you are ready to proceed

    Your new database connection will appear at the top of the connection stack. Clicking the name will open the connection so you can see the data within such as tables and their associated columns.

    The right window is where query creation and editing is done. The page can be saved to use later, and can be accessed in the window on the bottom left.

    Implementing Queries

    The main reason we use LINQPad is for the data visualization that is generated once we run our queries. Selecting a table with a right click brings up a selection of instant queries, and choosing the Albums.Take(100) option takes the latest 100 entries available. Once we choose to run the query with the green play button, the query language will auto populate within our Query1 window.

    We are not only limited to these quick queries, we are able to write our own in the top right window, as well as save them for later, change the language we wish to use, vary our .NET version, and change our database connection. Try making changes to the Albums.Take(100) query and you will see changes within the results!

    For use ideas:

      •  Database testing can be done without having to go through lengthy procedures. The queries are much quicker this way, saving us time on long-winded trigger tests.

      • Searching the backend to check for specific validation cases or accounts and their linking data.

      • General query creation and learning.

    Understanding the Data Visualization

    A results table shows the results in a manner that is much easier to digest and quicker than using your test server.

    The text links within Artist and Tracks have become navigation properties to new tables. Opening one of them keeps the original table, but adds the new table. Navigating a new database can be difficult and visual interpretations can be very beneficial.
    The lower right window is not only for results. You can select any of the available options and each provides a different service. If we view the SQL table, we see that the C# expression we created above has been translated into sql.

    The SQL window can also be used as a translation tool if you are learning SQL with your initial language in the upper right window.

    The IL + Native window does a similar function and provides translation in the native language chosen, the result in IL, and in the native disassembly.
    The Tree tab shows the expression tree that was generated from our query. Hovering over the nodes will highlight their position within the query logic you wrote. Studying the structure of the tree can be very beneficial in understanding the structure on how a query is built. Here is the structure of the Albums.Take(100) that we ran earlier.
    Changing your query can drastically change the appearance of the tree. A select all statement with a filter attached can give a completely different appearance!

    Breaking down everything in the tree view would be a lengthy task, but there are many resources available to get the most out of this particular tool. 

    Conclusion

    While the tool is excellent for understanding the database, it is one of many. It is important to understand what we can do with the tools we have and what works best for our current situation. The principles remain the same and as you progress in learning about the database, you will be able to utilize and identify the tool that works best for you.

    About Black Slate

    Black Slate is a Software Development Consulting Firm that provides single and multiple turnkey software development teams, available on your schedule and configured to achieve success as defined by your requirements independently or in co-development with your team. Black Slate teams combine proven full-stack, DevOps, Agile-experienced lead consultants with Delivery Management, User Experience, Software Development, and QA experts in Business Process Automation (BPA), Microservices, Client- and Server-Side Web Frameworks of multiple technologies, Custom Portal and Dashboard development, Cloud Integration and Migration (Azure and AWS), and so much more. Each Black Slate employee leads with the soft skills necessary to explain complex concepts to stakeholders and team members alike and makes your business more efficient, your data more valuable, and your team better. In addition, Black Slate is a trusted partner of more than 4000 satisfied customers and has a 99.70% “would recommend” rating.