To clarify: it was the SQL, not LINQ, language syntax (field selection prior to relation selection) that I was referring to as a potential weakness (but only once considered in the light of developer tools).

Absolutely. The "get something from somewhere" syntax that SQL employs is completely at odds with it being declarative. LINQ simply does a better job of capturing the abstractions of relational algebra cleanly.

Not that it really matters to someone who is already familiar with SQL, however.

SQL has the weakness, not LINQ.

In LINQ, you do "FROM x SELECT y". So the editor can help you autocomplete the y, since it knows the context.

In SQL, you do "SELECT y FROM x". Thus the editor cannot help you with y.

Excellent point. I guess when SQL was designed not many autocompleting IDEs were around though...