SSW Microsoft .NET LINQ Suggestions

Please add a checkbox to hide stored procedures

The checkbox below does a good job of hiding noise, but it doesn't complete the job, it had better add another checkbox to hide stored procedures, this would hide CustOrderHistResult, CustOrdersDetailResult etc.

Figure: Add a checkbox to hide stored procedures

Please add a default namespace to entity

I like how with a DBML I don't have to specify a namespace

But with EDMX I do, If you allowed me to have Null, it would nicely default to the folder name eg. in this case Northwind.Data.SQL

LINQ to Entities Connection String is in the old style

When you create a edmx - it should create a connection string in the new style... aka in the Properties:

Figure: Connection string should create in the new style.

Allow the EDMX to have no namespace specified

LINQ to SQL allows the DBML file to have no namespace specified and LINQ to Entities should be consistent. It should automatically pick up the namespace based on its location.

Figure: Allow namespace to be nullable.

Function icon should use the standard icon in VS

These icons should be more distinctive. At a glance they look the same and aren't very indicative of their purpose.

Figure: The function icon is same as the table's

The function mapping icon should use the standard icon for a function:

Figure: The standard icon in VS

DataContext and Entities should be split up

LINQ to SQL is a 2 tiered technology out of the box. To allow it to be used in n tiered architecture the DataContext (data access logic) needs to be separated from the Entities.

I want to be able to generate the DataContext separately to the Entities

e.g.

SqlMetal /database:Northwind /dataContext:NorthwindDataContext.cs /entities:NorthwindEntities.cs

Figure: DataContext and Entities should be split up