I am using MVC and I have my entity model class which has a string property "type". My get method returns an array of strings to the post called objTypes[] from a MultiSelectList.
What I would like to do is a LINQ query to my db to query back only the objs that have type equal to one of the strings in the array. Similar to this:
objs = objs.Where(o => o.type == ("any of objType elements"))
You can use the Contains() method. Simply use:
var filteredObjs = objs.Where(o => objTypes.Contains(o.type));)
I think you can try this..
var objTypes = db.OBjs.select(a=>a.type).ToList();
var result = objs.Where(o => objTypes.Contains(o.type));
I am using MVC 4 and entity framework, I am retrieving emails from the server:
var data = db.Candidates.Where(c => ids.Contains(c.ID) && c.Email1 != null).Select(c => new { c.Email1, c.ID }).ToList();
My first question: Does LINQ allow me to return an empty string form the Email1 field if it is null, similar to SQL coalesce? (I would remove the null test from the where clause).
2nd question: what would be the easiest object to use (to replace the "var data =" if I wanted to get c.Name along with the Email1, then use both in a loop? Should I create a model for just 2 fields?
Thanks so much in advance for any insights.
My first question: Does LINQ allow me to return an empty string form the Email1 field if it is null, similar to SQL coalesce? (I would remove the null test from the where clause).
Yes, there is the ?? operator that works similar to the coalesce.:
new { Email1 = c.Email1 ?? "", c.ID } //String.Empty would be nicer, but i think it depends on EF version if you are allowed to use it.
For your second question, if this is the only place you are going to use them, then anonymous is pretty fine.
If you want to use this on other places, yes create an object just with two properties... That's the object's purpose after all. (or maybe a struct?)
Ask one question at a time.
2a. The Null Coalescence operator in C# is ??.
2b. This may or may not be converted by your Linq Provider into a database query.
Do it like this,
var data = db.Candidates
.Where(c => ids.Contains(c.ID))
.Select(c => new
{
Id = c.Id,
Email1 = c.Email1 ?? string.Empty,
Name = c.Name
});
foreach(var row in data)
{
var name = row.Name // etc...
}
If your Linq Provider does not support the ?? operator, put in a .ToList() and use linq-to-objects to perform the tranformation like this,
var data = db.Candidates
.Where(c => ids.Contains(c.ID))
.ToList() // <-- from here is Linq-To-Objects
.Select(c => new
{
Id = c.Id,
Email1 = c.Email1 ?? string.Empty,
Name = c.Name
});
I'm adding a "search" functionality to a web app I'm working on and I have the following action method:
public PartialViewResult SearchEmployees(string search_employees)
{
var employeeList = _db.Employees.ToList();
var resultList = employeeList.Where(t => t.FirstName.Contains(search_employees)).ToList();
return PartialView(resultList)
}
here I'm trying to filter out all employees that have a first name that contains the search string, however I keep getting a null list. Am I using the lambda expression wrong?
another question, is .Contains case sensitive? (I know in java theres .equals and .equalsIgnoreCase, is there something similar to this for .Contains?)
The problem here was the .ToList() in the first line.
.NET's string.Contains() method is, by default, case sensitive. However, if you use .Contains() in a LINQ-to-Entities query, Contains() will follow the case sensitivity of the database (most databases are case insensitive).
When you called .ToList() in the first line, it pulled down all of your data from the database, so the second line was doing an ordinary .NET .Contains(). Not only did it give you unexpected results, it's also terrible for performance, so please make a point to use a query before you use .ToList() (if you even use .ToList() at all).
public PartialViewResult SearchEmployees(string search_employees)
{
var employeeList = _db.Employees;
var resultList = employeeList.Where(t => t.FirstName.Contains(search_employees))
.ToList();
return PartialView(resultList)
}
Can you try the following code?
public PartialViewResult SearchEmployees(string search_employees)
{
var employeeList = _db.Employees.ToList();
var resultList = employeeList;
if(!String.IsNullOrEmpty(search_employees))
resultList = employeeList.Where(t => t.FirstName.Contains(search_employees)).ToList();
return PartialView(resultList)
}
Thanks,
Amit
How do you convert this code into Linq lambda expression?
var list = new List<string[]>();
foreach (var #char in _word)
{
if (mapping.ContainsKey(#char.ToString())) // I tried with TryGetValue but my brain has thrown a stackoverflow.
list.Add(mapping[#char.ToString()]);
else
list.Add(mapping["?"]);
}
If there were no else part in my previous code, the linq expression would be like the following code but I don't know how also to manage the case where key is not found.
var list = _word.ToCharArray()
.Where(mot => mapping.ContainsKey(mot.ToString()))
.Select(mot => mapping[mot.ToString()]);
The solution must preserve the order please.
var list = _word.Select(mot => mapping.ContainsKey(mot.ToString()) ? mapping[mot.ToString()] : mapping["?"]);
I'm migrating some stuff from one mysql server to a sql server but i can't figure out how to make this code work:
using (var context = new Context())
{
...
foreach (var item in collection)
{
IQueryable<entity> pages = from p in context.pages
where p.Serial == item.Key.ToString()
select p;
foreach (var page in pages)
{
DataManager.AddPageToDocument(page, item.Value);
}
}
Console.WriteLine("Done!");
Console.Read();
}
When it enters into the second foreach (var page in pages) it throws an exception saying:
LINQ to Entities does not recognize the method 'System.String
ToString()' method, and this method cannot be translated into a store
expression.
Anyone know why this happens?
Just save the string to a temp variable and then use that in your expression:
var strItem = item.Key.ToString();
IQueryable<entity> pages = from p in context.pages
where p.Serial == strItem
select p;
The problem arises because ToString() isn't really executed, it is turned into a MethodGroup and then parsed and translated to SQL. Since there is no ToString() equivalent, the expression fails.
Note:
Make sure you also check out Alex's answer regarding the SqlFunctions helper class that was added later. In many cases it can eliminate the need for the temporary variable.
As others have answered, this breaks because .ToString fails to translate to relevant SQL on the way into the database.
However, Microsoft provides the SqlFunctions class that is a collection of methods that can be used in situations like this.
For this case, what you are looking for here is SqlFunctions.StringConvert:
from p in context.pages
where p.Serial == SqlFunctions.StringConvert((double)item.Key.Id)
select p;
Good when the solution with temporary variables is not desirable for whatever reasons.
Similar to SqlFunctions you also have the EntityFunctions (with EF6 obsoleted by DbFunctions) that provides a different set of functions that also are data source agnostic (not limited to e.g. SQL).
The problem is that you are calling ToString in a LINQ to Entities query. That means the parser is trying to convert the ToString call into its equivalent SQL (which isn't possible...hence the exception).
All you have to do is move the ToString call to a separate line:
var keyString = item.Key.ToString();
var pages = from p in context.entities
where p.Serial == keyString
select p;
Cast table to Enumerable, then you call LINQ methods with using ToString() method inside:
var example = contex.table_name.AsEnumerable()
.Select(x => new {Date = x.date.ToString("M/d/yyyy")...)
But be careful, when you calling AsEnumerable or ToList methods because you will request all data from all entity before this method. In my case above I read all table_name rows by one request.
Had a similar problem.
Solved it by calling ToList() on the entity collection and querying the list.
If the collection is small this is an option.
IQueryable<entity> pages = context.pages.ToList().Where(p=>p.serial == item.Key.ToString())
Hope this helps.
Upgrading to Entity Framework Version 6.2.0 worked for me.
I was previously on Version 6.0.0.
Hope this helps,
Change it like this and it should work:
var key = item.Key.ToString();
IQueryable<entity> pages = from p in context.pages
where p.Serial == key
select p;
The reason why the exception is not thrown in the line the LINQ query is declared but in the line of the foreach is the deferred execution feature, i.e. the LINQ query is not executed until you try to access the result. And this happens in the foreach and not earlier.
If you really want to type ToString inside your query, you could write an expression tree visitor that rewrites the call to ToString with a call to the appropriate StringConvert function:
using System.Linq;
using System.Data.Entity.SqlServer;
using System.Linq.Expressions;
using static System.Linq.Expressions.Expression;
using System;
namespace ToStringRewriting {
class ToStringRewriter : ExpressionVisitor {
static MethodInfo stringConvertMethodInfo = typeof(SqlFunctions).GetMethods()
.Single(x => x.Name == "StringConvert" && x.GetParameters()[0].ParameterType == typeof(decimal?));
protected override Expression VisitMethodCall(MethodCallExpression node) {
var method = node.Method;
if (method.Name=="ToString") {
if (node.Object.GetType() == typeof(string)) { return node.Object; }
node = Call(stringConvertMethodInfo, Convert(node.Object, typeof(decimal?));
}
return base.VisitMethodCall(node);
}
}
class Person {
string Name { get; set; }
long SocialSecurityNumber { get; set; }
}
class Program {
void Main() {
Expression<Func<Person, Boolean>> expr = x => x.ToString().Length > 1;
var rewriter = new ToStringRewriter();
var finalExpression = rewriter.Visit(expr);
var dcx = new MyDataContext();
var query = dcx.Persons.Where(finalExpression);
}
}
}
In MVC, assume you are searching record(s) based on your requirement or information.
It is working properly.
[HttpPost]
[ActionName("Index")]
public ActionResult SearchRecord(FormCollection formcollection)
{
EmployeeContext employeeContext = new EmployeeContext();
string searchby=formcollection["SearchBy"];
string value=formcollection["Value"];
if (formcollection["SearchBy"] == "Gender")
{
List<MvcApplication1.Models.Employee> emplist = employeeContext.Employees.Where(x => x.Gender == value).ToList();
return View("Index", emplist);
}
else
{
List<MvcApplication1.Models.Employee> emplist = employeeContext.Employees.Where(x => x.Name == value).ToList();
return View("Index", emplist);
}
}
I got the same error in this case:
var result = Db.SystemLog
.Where(log =>
eventTypeValues.Contains(log.EventType)
&& (
search.Contains(log.Id.ToString())
|| log.Message.Contains(search)
|| log.PayLoad.Contains(search)
|| log.Timestamp.ToString(CultureInfo.CurrentUICulture).Contains(search)
)
)
.OrderByDescending(log => log.Id)
.Select(r => r);
After spending way too much time debugging, I figured out that error appeared in the logic expression.
The first line search.Contains(log.Id.ToString()) does work fine, but the last line that deals with a DateTime object made it fail miserably:
|| log.Timestamp.ToString(CultureInfo.CurrentUICulture).Contains(search)
Remove the problematic line and problem solved.
I do not fully understand why, but it seems as ToString() is a LINQ expression for strings, but not for Entities. LINQ for Entities deals with database queries like SQL, and SQL has no notion of ToString(). As such, we can not throw ToString() into a .Where() clause.
But how then does the first line work? Instead of ToString(), SQL have CAST and CONVERT, so my best guess so far is that linq for entities uses that in some simple cases. DateTime objects are not always found to be so simple...
My problem was that I had a 'text' data type for this column (due to a migration from sqlite).
Solution: just change the data type to 'nvarchar()' and regenerate the table.
Then Linq accepts the string comparison.
I am working on retiring Telerik Open Access and replacing it with Entity Framework 4.0. I came across same issue that telerik:GridBoundColumn filtering stopped working.
I find out that its not working only on System.String DataTypes. So I found this thread and solved it by just using .List() at the end of my Linq query as follows:
var x = (from y in db.Tables
orderby y.ColumnId descending
select new
{
y.FileName,
y.FileSource,
y.FileType,
FileDepartment = "Claims"
}).ToList();
Just turn the LINQ to Entity query into a LINQ to Objects query (e.g. call ToArray) anytime you need to use a method call in your LINQ query.