"Stop Using LINQ in .NET!"

Summary

In this video, Nick debates the prohibition of using 'LINQ' in a company, as mandated by a manager who finds it hard to read and debug. Nick challenges this view by demonstrating LINQ's ease of use, readability, and efficiency, even comparing it to traditional for-each loops. He argues that LINQ is a powerful feature in .NET and C#, and criticizes the management's decision as an example of poor leadership. The video also includes a discussion on performance considerations and community reactions, including a comment from Scott Hanselman, a Microsoft VP, who offers to help rectify the misunderstanding.

Takeaways

• 🚫 The video discusses a situation where an employer has banned the use of 'LINQ' (Language Integrated Query) in their engineering department, which the speaker, Nick, finds absurd.
• 🤔 Nick aims to explore if there are any valid reasons for banning LINQ based on a Reddit post, as he believes it is a powerful feature in .NET and C#.
• 📚 Nick mentions a course he offers dedicated to LINQ, emphasizing its importance and the need for developers to understand how to use it effectively.
• 🎉 There's a promotion for the LINQ course and other offerings on DotTrain, with discounts available until the end of April, including a birthday discount for DotTrain.
• 🛑 The employer's reasoning for banning LINQ was that it's hard to read, debug, and prone to errors, which Nick disputes by demonstrating a simple LINQ query.
• 💻 Nick contrasts the extension method syntax of LINQ, which he prefers, with the query syntax, which he dislikes and believes should be removed from the language.
• 🔍 He argues that LINQ can be written in a way that is readable, maintainable, and efficient, and that it can be easier to debug than traditional loops.
• 🏁 Nick suggests that the ban on LINQ may be due to a lack of understanding or a 'cargo cult' management approach, where an idea is adopted without full comprehension.
• 👨‍💼 The video also includes comments from industry professionals like Scott Hanselman, who disagrees with the ban and offers to explain the benefits of LINQ.
• 🤝 The community response to the Reddit post is largely in favor of LINQ, with many suggesting that the employer's decision is misguided.
• 👍 Nick concludes by encouraging developers to use LINQ where appropriate, as long as they understand it well, and to avoid abusing any language feature.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video by Nick?

The main topic of the video is the controversy surrounding the use of 'Link' in programming, specifically in the context of a company banning its use entirely.

Why did the employer ban the use of 'Link' according to the Reddit post?

The employer banned 'Link' because they claimed it is hard to read, hard to debug, and prone to error.

What is Nick's opinion on the employer's decision to ban 'Link'?

Nick finds the decision to ban 'Link' insane and believes it is a powerful feature that should not be dismissed without strong reasons.

What is the promotion mentioned by Nick for his course on 'Link'?

Nick mentions a promotion where his 4-Hour course on 'Link' is offered for free until the 21st of April, and there are discounts on other courses and subscriptions with specific promo codes.

What is Nick's argument against the claim that 'Link' is hard to read and debug?

Nick argues that 'Link' is easy to read, write, and debug, and provides an example of a simple 'Link' query to demonstrate its readability and debuggability.

What does Nick suggest about the performance of 'Link' compared to handwritten code?

Nick acknowledges that 'Link' can be less performant than handwritten code in some cases, but questions whether the performance impact is significant enough to warrant a complete ban.

What advice does Nick give to developers working in a company that bans good programming practices like 'Link'?

Nick advises developers to leave such a company and find a better one, as he believes banning 'Link' indicates poor engineering leadership.

What is the difference between 'Link' query syntax and extension method syntax according to Nick?

Nick prefers the extension method syntax of 'Link' and finds the query syntax to be less appealing and suggests it should be removed from the language.

What does Nick propose as an alternative to using 'Link' in performance-critical scenarios?

In performance-critical scenarios, Nick suggests that developers might need to avoid using 'Link' and instead hand-code their solutions for better performance.

What is the general sentiment among the commenters on the Reddit post discussed in the video?

The general sentiment among the commenters is outrage and disbelief at the decision to ban 'Link', with many suggesting the company is not a good place to work.

What does Scott Hanselman, a VP of Developer Relations at Microsoft, suggest in response to the ban on 'Link'?

Scott Hanselman finds the ban on 'Link' to be silly and offers to get in touch with the company to explain why the decision is not justified.