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ASP.NET MVC C# Select and Where Statements

I'm having trouble understanding .Select and .Where statements. What I want to do is select a specific column with "where" criteria based on another column.
For example, what I have is this:
var engineers = db.engineers;
var managers = db.ManagersToEngineers;
List<ManagerToEngineer> matchedManager = null;
Engineer matchedEngineer = null;
if (this.User.Identity.IsAuthenticated)
{
var userEmail = this.User.Identity.Name;
matchedEngineer = engineers.Where(x => x.email == userEmail).FirstOrDefault();
matchedManager = managers.Select(x => x.ManagerId).Where(x => x.EngineerId == matchedEngineer.PersonId).ToList();
}
if (matchedEngineer != null)
{
ViewBag.EngineerId = new SelectList(new List<Engineer> { matchedEngineer }, "PersonId", "FullName");
ViewBag.ManagerId = new SelectList(matchedManager, "PersonId", "FullName");
}
What I'm trying to do above is select from a table that matches Managers to Engineers and select a list of managers based on the engineer's id. This isn't working and when I go like:
matchedManager = managers.Where(x => x.EngineerId == matchedEngineer.PersonId).ToList();
I don't get any errors but I'm not selecting the right column. In fact the moment I'm not sure what I'm selecting. Plus I get the error:
Non-static method requires a target.

if you want to to select the manager, then you need to use FirstOrDefault() as you used one line above, but if it is expected to have multiple managers returned, then you will need List<Manager>, try like:
Update:
so matchedManager is already List<T>, in the case it should be like:
matchedManager = managers.Where(x => x.EngineerId == matchedEngineer.PersonId).ToList();
when you put Select(x=>x.ManagerId) after the Where() now it will return Collection of int not Collection of that type, and as Where() is self descriptive, it filters the collection as in sql, and Select() projects the collection on the column you specify:
List<int> managerIds = managers.Where(x => x.EngineerId == matchedEngineer.PersonId)
.Select(x=>x.ManagerId).ToList();

The easiest way to remember what the methods do is to remember that this is being translated to SQL.
A .Where() method will filter the rows returned.
A .Select() method will filter the columns returned.
However, there are a few ways to do that with the way you should have your objects set up.
First, you could get the Engineer, and access its Managers:
var engineer = context.Engineers.Find(engineerId);
return engineer.Managers;
However, that will first pull the Engineer out of the database, and then go back for all of the Managers. The other way would be to go directly through the Managers.
return context.Managers.Where(manager => manager.EngineerId == engineerId).ToList();
Although, by the look of the code in your question, you may have a cross-reference table (many to many relationship) between Managers and Engineers. In that case, my second example probably wouldn't work. In that case, I would use the first example.

You want to filter data by matching person Id and then selecting manager Id, you need to do following:
matchedManager = managers.Where(x => x.EngineerId == matchedEngineer.PersonId).Select(x => x.ManagerId).ToList();
In your case, you are selecting the ManagerId first and so you have list of ints, instead of managers from which you can filter data
Update:
You also need to check matchedEngineer is not null before retrieving the associated manager. This might be cause of your error

You use "Select" lambda expression to get the field you want, you use "where" to filter results

Select 1 column from a Group By LINQ query

I think what I need is relatively simple but every example I Google just returns results using First(), which I'm already doing. Here is my expression:
var options = configData.AsEnumerable().GroupBy(row => row["myColumn"]).Select(grp => grp.First());
What I need is only ONE column from the grp portion and to be able to suffix .ToList() on there without an error. As it stands I receive 4 columns, but only need a specific one, kind of like if this (grp => grp["myColumn"]), didn't result in error the Error 153 Cannot apply indexing with [] to an expression of type 'System.Linq.IGrouping<object,System.Data.DataRow>'
Also, Key does not work in the grouping portion as these results are from a DataTable object. See here - >

If you want only the keys, you can use
var options = configData.AsEnumerable().Select(row=>row["myColumn"]).Distinct();

I think that this is what you want:
configData.AsEnumerable()
.GroupBy(r => r["myColumn"])
.Select(g => new
{
myColumnValue = g.Key,
myColumnItems = g.Select(r => r["OtherColumn"]).ToList()
});
Do you understand how/what this does though? Try it out and inspect the resulting IEnumerable. I'm not sure you have a perfect understanding on how GroupBy works but take your time with above example.
See this part:
new
{
myColumnValue = g.Key,
myColumnItems = g.Select(r => r["OtherColumn"]).ToList()
}
This creates an anonymous type which outputs the values of "OtherColumn" column into a list grouped by "myColumn" where value of "myColumn" is in the myColumnValue property.
I'm not sure this answers your question but it looks like this is what you want.
The variable g is of the type IGrouping<object, DataRow>, it's not DataRow. The IGrouping interface is designed to provide a list of DataRow's grouped by object values - it does not produce a flat list, if it did then it would just be a Sort, not GroupBy.

Just specify the field you want after your call to First() e.g.
.Select(grp => grp.FirstOrDefault()["MyFieldName"]);
This will take the first record from the grouping and select the specified field from that record.

Best Practices: Adding properties to a LINQ-to-Entities query result?

I'm writing an ASP.NET Web Pages application and in it, I have a massive LINQ to Entities query. This query pulls data from a table in the database, filters it, groups the data twice, and adds extra properties to the result set. I then loop through the table, outputting the rows.
The query is quite big, sorry:
accountOrders = db.EventOrders
.Where(order => order.EventID == eventID)
.OrderBy(order => order.ProductCode)
.GroupBy(order => new { order.AccountNum, order.Exhibitor, order.Booth })
.Select(orders =>
new {
Key = orders.Key,
ProductOrders = orders
.GroupBy(order => new { order.ProductCode, order.Product, order.Price })
.Select(productOrders =>
new {
Key = productOrders.Key,
Quantity = productOrders.Sum(item => item.Quantity),
HtmlID = String.Join(",", productOrders.Select(o => (o.OrderNum + "-" + o.OrderLine))),
AssignedLines = productOrders.SelectMany(order => order.LineAssignments)
})
})
.Select(account =>
new {
Key = account.Key,
// Property to see whether a booth number should be displayed
HasBooth = !String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(account.Key.Booth),
HasAssignedDigitalLines = account.ProductOrders.Any(order => order.AssignedLines.Any(line => line.Type == "digital")),
// Dividing the orders into their respective product group
PhoneOrders = account.ProductOrders.Where(prod => ProductCodes.PHONE_CODES.Contains(prod.Key.ProductCode)),
InternetOrders = account.ProductOrders.Where(prod => ProductCodes.INTERNET_CODES.Contains(prod.Key.ProductCode)),
AdditionalOrders = account.ProductOrders.Where(prod => ProductCodes.ADDITIONAL_CODES.Contains(prod.Key.ProductCode))
})
.ToList();
I use the added properties to help style the output. For example, I use HasBooth property to check whether or not I should output the booth location in brackets beside the exhibitor name. The problem is I have to save this big query as an IEnumerable, meaning I get the error: Cannot use a lambda expression as an argument to a dynamically dispatched operation without first casting it to a delegate or expression tree type. Should I even be manipulating the query this way?
Any advice is much appreciated!

At some point, you are passing in a dynamic datatype to the method, which in turn changes the return type to simply dynamic. You can either cast the dynamic type to a type that is recognised at compile time or explicitly set the return type instead of using var.
You can read more about this issue here: http://www.mikesdotnetting.com/Article/198/Cannot-use-a-lambda-expression-as-an-argument-to-a-dynamically-dispatched-operation

Distinct elements in LINQ

I have a situation where i display a list of products for a customer. So, there are two kinds of products. So, if customer is registerd to two products, then both the products get displayed. So, I need to display distinct rows. I did this:
var queryProducts = DbContext.CustomerProducts.Where(p => p.Customers_Id ==
customerID).ToList().Select(r => new
{
r.Id,
r.Products_Id,
ProductName = r.Product.Name,
ShortName = r.Product.ShortName,
Description = r.Product.Description,
IsActive = r.Product.IsActive
}).Distinct();
In this, customerID is the value that i get from dropdownlist. However, it still displays the same row twice. So, can you please let me know how i can display only distinct records.

The most likely reasons could be that Distinct when called with no parameter by default compares all the public properties for equality. I suspect your Id is going to be unique. Hence the Distinct is not working for you.
You can try something like
myCustomerList.GroupBy(product => product.Products_Id).Select(grp => grp.First());
I found this as answers to
How to get distinct instance from a list by Lambda or LINQ
Distinct() with lambda?

Have a look at LINQ Select Distinct with Anonymous Types
I'm guessing r.ID is varying between the two products that are the same, but you have the same Products_Id?

You can write an implementation of IEqualityComparer<CustomerProduct>. Once you've got that, then you can use this:
DbContext.CustomerProducts.Where(p => p.Customers_Id == customerId)
.ToList()
.Distinct(new MyComparer())
.Select(r => new {
// etc.
public class MyComparer : IEqualityComparer<CustomerProduct>
{
// implement **Equals** and **GetHashCode** here
}
Note, using this anonymous comparer might work better for you, but it compares all properties in the anonymous type, not just the customer ID as specified in the question.

Numbering the rows per group after an orderby in LINQ

Say you have columns AppleType, CreationDate and want to order each group of AppleType by CreationDate. Furthermore, you want to create a new column which explicitly ranks the order of the CreationDate per AppleType.
So, the resulting DataSet would have three columns, AppleType, CreationDate, OrderIntroduced.
Is there a LINQ way of doing this? Would I have to actually go through the data programmatically (but not via LINQ), create an array, convert that to a column and add to the DataSet? I have there is a LINQ way of doing this. Please use LINQ non-method syntax if possible.

So are the values actually appearing in the right order? If so, it's easy - but you do need to use method syntax, as the query expression syntax doesn't support the relevant overload:
var queryWithIndex = queryWithoutIndex.Select((x, index) => new
{
x.AppleType,
x.CreationDate,
OrderIntroduced = index + 1,
});
(That's assuming you want OrderIntroduced starting at 1.)
I don't know offhand how you'd then put that back into a DataSet - but do you really need it in a DataSet as opposed to in the strongly-typed sequence?
EDIT: Okay, the requirements are still unclear, but I think you want something like:
var query = dataSource.GroupBy(x => x.AppleType)
.SelectMany(g => g.OrderBy(x => x.CreationDate)
.Select((x, index ) => new {
x.AppleType,
x.CreationDate,
OrderIntroduced = index + 1 }));
Note: The GroupBy and SelectMany calls here can be put in query expression syntax, but I believe it would make it more messy in this case. It's worth being comfortable with both forms.

If you want a pure Linq to Entities/SQL solution you can do something like this:
Modified to handle duplicate CreationDate's
var query = from a in context.AppleGroup
orderby a.CreationDate
select new
{
AppleType = a.AppleType,
CreationDate = a.CreationDate,
OrderIntroduced = (from b in context.AppleGroup
where b.CreationDate < a.CreationDate
select b).Count() + 1
};