Query Pipeline

SkillDatabases & data

Your AI can help you change how EF Core turns C# queries into SQL, including bulk updates and deletes. This skill gives it working knowledge of the query pipeline, from LINQ translation to SQL generation. It is meant for work on the dotnet/efcore repository.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

After adding the skill, tell your AI which part of the query pipeline you want to change, such as an expression visitor or the SQL generator. It can then dig into the relevant dotnet/efcore code with the right background.

Then ask your AI: use the Query Pipeline skill

What your AI can do with it

  • Translate LINQ queries into SQL
  • Change how SQL is generated for database queries
  • Implement bulk updates and deletes with ExecuteUpdate and ExecuteDelete
  • Modify expression visitors, SqlExpressions, and related query classes
  • Work on the ShaperProcessingExpressionVisitor that shapes query results
  • Adjust UpdateExpression and DeleteExpression logic

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by dotnet/efcore in .agents/skills/query-pipeline/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Stages

  1. Preprocessing
  2. Translation
  3. Postprocessing
  4. Compilation
  5. SQL Generation

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

Signals

GitHub stars
15k
Forks
3k
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
query-pipeline
Source
github.com/dotnet/efcore