Although some Database Administrators strongly believe Linq is spelled wrong and should be written as "Link" (dutch for very dangerous), as a developer I really like using Linq. The syntax is easy to understand and related to the well known T-SQL syntax.
It shouldn't cost you too much to get started using Linq.
Linqpad (some time ago already recommended by my colleague) is a nice tool to start experimenting with Linq and test your queries. It supports:
- LINQ to SQL
- LINQ to Objects
- LINQ to XML
LINQPad standard edition is free to download. Autocompletion is an optional extra.
From the same maker: These 10 myhts are also very helpful.