Updating a Single Column in Linq to SQL – Summary

The standard way to update a record using Linq to SQL is to load a record from the database, assign the new column values, and submit the changes.

This method is undesirable if your table contains long text or binary columns, since they are loaded into the Linq to SQL object without being used.

Starting with a table containing nvarchar(max) and varbinary(max) columns

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[FooMax](
  [OID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
  [ID] [nvarchar](50) NOT NULL,
  [SomeText] [nvarchar](max) NULL,
  [SomeBinary] [varbinary](max) NULL,
  CONSTRAINT [PK_FooMax] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([OID] ASC)
)

I listed a couple of methods to reduce database access to the columns actually required in the UPDATE process:

• Initial post

• Updating a Single Column in Linq to SQL using a Stored Procedure

• Updating a Single Column in Linq to SQL using a View

• Updating a Single Column in Linq to SQL using ExecuteCommand

• Updating a Single Column in Linq to SQL using an Alias

• Updating a Single Column in Linq to SQL using Attach

The dbml mappings for these solutions