Experimental LINQ to SQL template

A newer version of this LINQ to SQL template is available

While SQLMetal does a good job of turning your SQL schema into a set of classes for you it doesn’t let you customize the code generation process.

Usefully there is now a templating system built into Visual Studio 2008 called Text Templates (T4 for short).

Here is a short (369 line) experimental proof-of-concept T4 template I wrote last night that will generate a data context and associated entity classes as a starting point similar to that produced by SQLMetal.

Once downloaded unzip and drop the DataContext.cs.tt into your project and edit line 17 to set the connection string. You can also edit lines 18 and 19 to set the namespace and class name. The lightweight wrappers around database, table and column can be found at the end of the file — they simply wrap the SQL Server Information_Schema views as briefly as possible.

Within seconds Visual Studio should have created a code-behind file for the DataContext named DataContext.cs.cs with your generated code ready to use :) If you don’t like the way the template generates your context you can change it :)

There are limitations with this experimental proof-of-concept including: 

• Processes all and only tables in the database (no views or SP’s)
• Foreign-key relationships are not implemented
• Column attributes for `IsDbGenerated`, `UpdateCheck` and `AutoSync` not implemented
• C# only (sorry Julie)
• Plural and singular naming rules are incomplete
• Can’t modify schema as you could with a designer stage

Learn more about T4!

• Watch a screen-cast about T4 in action (download, embedded player is awful)
• Grab T4 Editor for IntelliSense within T4 and T4 Template Items for Add New Item… support
• Check out Oleg Sych’s blog for great T4 articles including how to enable the 3.5 compiler for templates
• Learn about T4 debugging

[)amien