Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) Certification Practice Test

What does Paging do in LINQ?

1. It loads all data into memory at once.

2. It retrieves data in batches to improve performance.

3. It filters data by specific criteria.

4. It sorts data into distinct sections.

The correct answer is: It retrieves data in batches to improve performance.

Paging in LINQ involves retrieving data in manageable segments or batches, which enhances performance and efficiency when dealing with large datasets. Instead of loading all data into memory at once, which can lead to excessive memory consumption and slow application responsiveness, paging allows retrieval of a specified subset of records based on defined parameters, such as page size and page number. This is particularly beneficial for applications that display data in user interfaces, such as web pages or data grids, where displaying a large number of records at once could overwhelm the user and hinder usability. By fetching only the necessary records for any given view, applications can respond more quickly and utilize resources more effectively. The other options—loading all data at once, filtering data, and sorting data into sections—describe different operations that do not pertain specifically to the purpose of paging in LINQ. Thus, the correct understanding of paging within LINQ is tightly associated with the strategy of retrieving data incrementally to optimize performance.