[wrs]

I think what Nathan is referring to is the SQL-like syntax for LINQ, which really couldn't be implemented in C#, as C# doesn't have any syntax extension features.

However, expression-based LINQ is implemented in C#. That's possible because of several language features added to C# 3.0, notably expression trees (code as data) and anonymous functions (lambda). Those features make C# expressive enough to do things like LINQ in C#, though in a somewhat clumsier way than Clojure does it.

For example, if you write cities.Where(s => s.StartsWith("L")), that "s => " is a lambda expression, but because the Where method takes an expression tree, the expression is turned into a data structure rather than executable code. This is similar (not identical!) to Clojure recognizing that you're calling a macro rather than a function and letting you see code as data.

[jbz]

Thats why it felt like a cheap detour to me. To me it read like Linq is completely unchangeable and you're stuck with what MS/C# language dictates it is, but almost every single component of it can be swapped out with your own implementation and overloads that in practice you can do much of what is implied as unachievable. Its been so long ive lost some of my grasp on it, but from what I recall you can swap out even the core methods that the C# sentence type syntax ends up being converted to, now is that not really close to what was highlighted in the article as impossible? With expression trees added on top to build out queries with decision trees during runtime you can make it work against whatever kind of datastore youre interacting with. In the end I felt its not nearly as immovable as portrayed in the article, and at the time i felt like the article was past its prime since it had been an hour with few comments - though im kinda wishing I kept my mouth shut now that theres been an invasion of comments.

To start splitting hairs about exact definition of what was written in the article seems to miss the point to me, the general flow and feel was dismissive of its ability. Is it clumsier? From what I can tell so far yes its clumsier, but its not powerless and immovable which is how it came off. Maybe im just sensitive though, or maybe im insensitive in how i portrayed my argument, but I really did just meant my original comment as constructive criticism.