System.Core 3.5.0.0 4.0.0.0 Covariant System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<T> System.Linq.IQueryable To be added.

The interface is intended for implementation by query providers.

This interface inherits the interface so that if it represents a query, the results of that query can be enumerated. Enumeration forces the expression tree associated with an object to be executed. Queries that do not return enumerable results are executed when the method is called.

The definition of "executing an expression tree" is specific to a query provider. For example, it may involve translating the expression tree to a query language appropriate for an underlying data source.

The interface enables queries to be polymorphic. That is, because a query against an IQueryable data source is represented as an expression tree, it can be executed against different types of data sources.

The static (Shared in Visual Basic) methods defined in the class (except for , , and ) extend objects of types that implement the interface.

For more information about how to create your own LINQ provider, see LINQ: Building an IQueryable Provider on MSDN Blogs.

Provides functionality to evaluate queries against a specific data source wherein the type of the data is known.