What are Filters and LINQ in C# and why are they widely used?

Filtering and LINQ (Language Integrated Query) are fundamental concepts in C# for working with collections and data sources. LINQ provides a consistent, readable way to query, filter, sort, group, transform, and project data using C# syntax. For example, developers can use LINQ to filter a collection based on a condition, select specific fields, order results, or group records. LINQ can work with in-memory collections such as List as well as data sources such as Entity Framework Core, where expressions can be translated into SQL.