Query Pipeline

Translates LINQ expressions into database queries and materializes results.

Stages

1. Preprocessing — QueryTranslationPreprocessor: NavigationExpandingExpressionVisitor (Include, navigations, auto-includes), QueryOptimizingExpressionVisitor
2. Translation — QueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor: LINQ methods → ShapedQueryExpression (= QueryExpression + ShaperExpression). Relational: RelationalSqlTranslatingExpressionVisitor, SelectExpression
3. Postprocessing — QueryTranslationPostprocessor: SqlNullabilityProcessor, SqlTreePruner, SqlAliasManager, RelationalParameterBasedSqlProcessor, SelectExpressionProjectionApplyingExpressionVisitor, SqlExpressionSimplifyingExpressionVisitor, RelationalValueConverterCompensatingExpressionVisitor
4. Compilation — ShapedQueryCompilingExpressionVisitor → executable delegate. Relational: ShaperProcessingExpressionVisitor builds shaper and materialization code
5. SQL Generation — QuerySqlGenerator

Validation

• ToQueryString() shows generated SQL without executing
• ExpressionPrinter dumps expression trees at any pipeline stage
• SQL baselines verified via AssertSql() in provider functional tests and the generated SQL corresponds to the LINQ query in the base method