Will you get the benefits of IQueryable if you use entity projections? - linq

Lets say I have a method like this:
IQueryable<MyFlatObject> GetMyFlatObjects()
{
using (var context = new MyEntities())
{
return context.MyEntities.Select(x => new MyFlatObject()
{
Property1 = x.PropertyA,
Property2 = x.PropertyB,
Property3 = x.PropertyC,
});
}
}
Now if I call:
MyService.GetMyFlatObjects().Where(x => x.Property1 == "test");
Sanity check. This filter will not propagate to my database store (like if I had just queried my entities), but instead I will get all results back and be using LINQ-to-objects to filter. Right?

I think, it's not right. First, it doesn't query anything because you are only extending an IQueryable<T> to a new IQueryable<T>. If you call ToList() or anything else that causes the query to execute you'll get an exception because the context has already been disposed at the end of the using block. If you don't dispose the context the Where filter will be translated to SQL and executed in the database. I believe it will behave the same way as if you would apply the Where to PropertyA before the Select.

Related

Call custom filtering method on IQueryable

I have this linq query (using linq 4.3.0):
return ExecuteODataQuery(Db.AdvisorFees, f => f.Advisor);
Implemented as follows:
protected IQueryable<TType> ExecuteODataQuery<TType>(IQueryable<TType> queryFunc, Func<TType, Advisor> advisorFunc) where TType : Entity
{
var systemAccount = GetSystemAccountThrow();
var results = queryFunc.Where(x => x.Active).AsEnumerable().Where(x => CheckAdvisorOrChannel(systemAccount, advisorFunc(x)));
return results;
}
This is my custom method:
public static bool CheckAdvisorOrChannel(SystemAccount systemAccount, Advisor advisor)
{
return (systemAccount.IsChannelSystemAccount ? systemAccount.Channel.Code == advisor.Channel.Code : systemAccount.Advisor.Code == advisor.Code);
}
This currently works. If I remove the AsEnumerable() I get a LinqToEntities not supported exception on my custom method. I cannot use AsEnumerable() as I have too many records and do not want to do the rest of the filtering in memory. Is it possible to call a custom method on IQueryable instead? I've been playin with extension methods and expressions but have not managed to get this working yet. Any pointers?
I would prefer to not use expression trees as much as possible.

String extension method in Linq query

How to use string extension method in linq query:
public NewsType GetNewsType(string name)
{
var newsType = db.NewsTypes.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name.ToFriendlyUrl() ==
name.ToFriendlyUrl());
return newsType;
}
Above query x.Name.ToFriendlyUrl() is not allowed at the minute. Is anyone know how to achieve with it.
Extension methods are indeed allowed in LINQ queries, moreover the LINQ methods themselves are implemented as extension methods.
It's quite another issue however, to use extension methods (or most other methods) in LINQ-to-SQL or LINQ-to-Entities queries. Those queries are not actually run in the C# code, but they are treated like expressions that are translated to SQL. I.e.
db.News.Where(x => x.Published).Select(x => x.Name)
is translated to the SQL Statement
Select Name
From News
Where Published = 1
and it's results are returned to the C# code.
Since there is not way to transfer the ToFriendlyUrl() method to SQL, your code throws an error.
You have basically, two solutions/workarounds. One is to transform the call to a form could be translated into SQL, e.g. if the ToFriendlyUrl() method was just:
public static string ToFriendlyURL(this string value)
{
return value.ToLower();
}
you can inline that code in the LINQ call, and that would work. If however, the methods is more complex, than your only solution is to just fetch the data from the base and then process it on the C# side:
var newsTypeQuery = db.NewsTypes.Where(x => // other conditions, if any);
var newsTypes = newsTypes.ToList(); //forces execution of the query
// the result is now a C# list
var newsType = newsTypes.FirstOrDefault(x =>
x.Name.ToFriendlyUrl() == name.ToFriendlyUrl());
Assuming the NewsTypes is an IQueryable this is a result of Entity Framework not being able to convert you extension method into SQL (how should it?). Unless you can rewrite your predicate into something that Entity Framework can translate into SQL you will have to perform the query client side:
public NewsType GetNewsType(string name)
{
var newsType = db.NewsTypes.AsEnumerable().FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name.ToFriendlyUrl() == name.ToFriendlyUrl());
return newsType;
}
Notice how AsEnumerable() has been added before FirstOrDefault. Unfortunately this may pull all the rows returned by NewsTypes from the server to client and thus may be quite costly.
This
var newsType = db.NewsTypes.FirstOrDefault(
x => x.Name.ToFriendlyUrl() == name.ToFriendlyUrl());
can't be done in Entity Framework. ToFriendlyUrl is an extension method. It's something that is in the "client" computer. The query will be executed on the SQL server. The SQL server doesn't have a ToFriendlyUrl function.
The "standard" solution is to save in a second column named FriendlyName a precalculated version of the ToFriendlyUrl(), so your query becomes:
var friendlyName = name.ToFriendlyUrl();
var newsType = db.NewsTypes.FirstOrDefault(
x => x.FriendlyName == friendlyName);
Instead try like this
public NewsType GetNewsType(string name)
{
var newsType = db.NewsTypes.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name == name).ToFriendlyUrl();
return newsType;
}

Entity Framework LINQ insert command failing. MVC3

Hi I'm trying to do a basic update based on an id using Linq and the entity framework. I'm very new to this but I do not see the problem.
My entity class object is declared at the controller level.
gwwbnEntities db = new gwwbnEntities();
The Method grabs a querystring id and updates the user's registration status who is represented by that id.
public ActionResult ConfirmedAccount(int id)
{
var q = from u in db.user_registration
where u.id == id && u.reg_status == null
select u;
if (q.Any())
{
foreach(var item in q){
user_registration user = item;
user.reg_status = 202;
db.Entry(user).State = EntityState.Modified;
db.SaveChanges();
}
return View();
}
else
{
return RedirectToAction("RegistrationError");
}
}
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Again everything works and populates correctly, but the context object.SaveChanges() method fails everytime.
Thanks guys!
The exception you are seeing is because you have an open data reader (foreach) and you are trying to create transaction (EF does it for you) in SaveChanges(). Call SaveChanges outside the loop.
In addtion: Don't set the state to Modified - EF will detect that properties changed and will automatically set the state accordingly. You may want to do .ToList() on the q before doing anything. At the moment you are sending to queries to the database (one for .Any() and one to get entities). If you do .ToList() you will send only one query that brings entities but .Any() would be called on the list not on the database so it will be much faster and there is no trip to the database. Also ToList() force query evaluation so your foreach loop will not keep the data reader open as it will iterate on the list.

LINQ to Entities does not recognize the method 'Boolean CheckMeetingSettings(Int64, Int64)' method

I am working with code first approach in EDM and facing an error for which I can't the solution.Pls help me
LINQ to Entities does not recognize the method 'Boolean
CheckMeetingSettings(Int64, Int64)' method, and this method cannot be
translated into a store expression.
My code is following(this is the query which I have written
from per in obj.tempPersonConferenceDbSet
where per.Conference.Id == 2
select new PersonDetials
{
Id = per.Person.Id,
JobTitle = per.Person.JobTitle,
CanSendMeetingRequest = CheckMeetingSettings(6327,per.Person.Id)
}
public bool CheckMeetingSettings(int,int)
{
///code I have written.
}
Please help me out of this.
EF can not convert custom code to SQL. Try iterating the result set and assigning the property outside the LINQ query.
var people = (from per in obj.tempPersonConferenceDbSet
where per.Conference.Id == 2
order by /**/
select new PersonDetials
{
Id = per.Person.Id,
JobTitle = per.Person.JobTitle,
}).Skip(/*records count to skip*/)
.Take(/*records count to retrieve*/)
.ToList();
people.ForEach(p => p.CanSendMeetingRequest = CheckMeetingSettings(6327, p.Id));
With Entity Framework, you cannot mix code that runs on the database server with code that runs inside the application. The only way you could write a query like this, is if you defined a function inside SQL Server to implement the code that you've written.
More information on how to expose that function to LINQ to Entities can be found here.
Alternatively, you would have to call CheckMeetingSettings outside the initial query, as Eranga demonstrated.
Try:
var personDetails = obj.tempPersonConferenceDbSet.Where(p=>p.ConferenceId == 2).AsEnumerable().Select(p=> new PersonDetials
{
Id = per.Person.Id,
JobTitle = per.Person.JobTitle,
CanSendMeetingRequest = CheckMeetingSettings(6327,per.Person.Id)
});
public bool CheckMeetingSettings(int,int)
{
///code I have written.
}
You must use AsEnumerable() so you can preform CheckMeetingSettings.
Linq to Entities can't translate your custom code into a SQL query.
You might consider first selecting only the database columns, then add a .ToList() to force the query to resolve. After you have those results you van do another select where you add the information from your CheckMeetingSettings method.
I'm more comfortable with the fluid syntax so I've used that in the following example.
var query = obj.tempPersonConferenceDbSet
.Where(per => per.Conference.Id == 2).Select(per => new { Id = per.Person.Id, JobTitle = per.Person.JobTitle })
.ToList()
.Select(per => new PersonDetails { Id = per.Id,
JobTitle = per.JobTitle,
CanSendMeetingRequest = CheckMeetingSettings(6327, per.Person.Id) })
If your CheckMeetingSettings method also accesses the database you might want to consider not using a seperate method to prevent a SELECT N+1 scenario and try to express the logic as part of the query in terms that the database can understand.

Using NHibernate.Linq and getting 2 queries for a simple select, why?

so here's the code with irrelevant bits left out:
public IEnumerable<T> GetByQuery(Expression<Func<T, bool>> filter
{
try
{
return Session.Linq<T>().Where(filter);
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
// custom exception handling here
}
finally
{
CloseSession();
}
return null;
}
and an example of it being called looks like this:
IEnumerabl<ClientReport> clientReports =
clientReportRepository.GetByQuery(item => item.ClientId = id);
So as you can see, nothing fancy and being called in this way, we're hitting one table in the database with no relationships to any other tables. But when I have show_sql = true in the configuration, It's displaying 2 of the same query.
Any ideas?
Thanks
clientReports will probably execute the query every time you enumerate it (or get the Count(), for example).
To avoid that, use .ToList() in the assignment.

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