I am trying to send a Linq query as a string to a method to be used in a where clause. Since IEnumerable wouldn't work for this, I have converted my IEnumerable to IQueryable and still it throws error. The following is the code:
public static void FilterData(string Query)
{
if((List<MemberMaintenanceData>)HttpContext.Current.Session["Allmembers"] != null)
{
//Get the IEnumerable object colection from session
var data = (List<MemberMaintenanceData>) HttpContext.Current.Session["Allmembers"];
//Convert it to IQueryable
IQueryable<MemberMaintenanceData> queryData = data.AsQueryable();
//This line doesn't compile!!
queryData = queryData.Where(Query);
HttpContext.Current.Session["Allmembers"] = queryData.AsEnumerable().ToList();
}
}
I intended passing "a => a.AccountId == 1000" as Query
There is a free (and open source) library, provided by Microsoft for parsing strings into Lambda expressions that can then be used in Linq queries. It also contains versions of the standard query operators such as Where() that take a string parameter. You can find it described in Scott Guthries blog post on Dynamic Linq.
For example, you can do queries like this (adapted from a snippet from the Scott guthrie link)
// imagine these have come from a drop down box or some other user input...
string thingToSelectBy = "City";
string citySelectedByUser = "London";
int minNumberOfOrders = 10;
string whereClause = String.Format("{0} = #0 and Orders.Count >= #1", thingToSelectBy);
var query = db.Customers
.Where(whereClause, citySelectedByUser, minNumberOfOrders)
.OrderBy("CompanyName")
.Select("new(CompanyName as Name, Phone");
The Where clause in thisw code snippet shows how you create a where clause using a parameterised string and then dynamically inject values for the parameters at run time, for example, based on user input. This works for parameters of any type.
In your example, the where clause would be
whereClause = "AccountId = 1000";
So in effect you would be doing something like
var newFilteredQueryData = queryData.Where("AccountId = 1000");
That link also contains the location where you can download the source code and a comprehensive document describing the dynamic query API and expression language.
Given a class such as:
public class foo
{
public int AccountID {get;set;}
}
You should be able to do something like this:
Expression<Func<foo, bool>> filter = f => f.AccountID == 1000;
And then pass that as your query. If it is really needed as a string you can do this:
filter.ToString();
//By Using this library
using System.Linq.Dynamic.Core;
InventoryList = Repository.GetAll(); // IQueryable
string filterString = "UnitPrice > 10 And Qty>100 OR Description.Contains("Dairy")";
var filteredGenericList = InventoryList.Where(filterString);
Related
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;
}
I was wondering if we can convert a Linq Query on the Entity Framework and save the query to the database by converting it to an Expression Tree and Serializing. Can someone please help me on this and point me in a right direction whether this can be done or not. Any help is greatly appreciated on this.
Thanks,
Ajay.
i released a library for that purpose just yesterday. Serialize.Linq. It serializes linq expressions to xml, json or binary.
using System.Linq.Expressions
using Serialize.Linq.Extensions;
Expression<Func<Person, bool>> query = p => p.LastName == "Miller"
&& p.FirstName.StartsWith("M");
Console.WriteLine(query.ToJson());
Console.WriteLine(query.ToXml());
You could turn the query into a string and then save the string.
This is from an answer by Nick Berardi:
var result = from x in appEntities
where x.id = 32
select x;
var sql = ((System.Data.Objects.ObjectQuery)result).ToTraceString();
The sql generated by the query could be stored and re-used.
Use Sprint.Filter.OData. It converts a Func<T,bool> into string and back to code.
Sample:
public class TestSprintOData
{
public static void Run()
{
// Parse a Func into string
var query = Filter.Serialize<User>(u => u.IsActive && u.Email.Contains("#gmail.com"));
// It'll generate the string "IsActive and substringof('#gmail.com', Email)"
// Convert back to Expression, perhaps on server
var query2 = Filter.Deserialize<User>(query);
// Compiles to Func, so you can use as delegate to Where
var f = query2.Compile();
var list = new List<User>
{
new User{Name="Johnny", IsActive = true, Email = "johnny#gmail.com"},
new User{Name="abc", IsActive = false, Email = ""},
new User{Name="dude", IsActive=true, Email = "dude#gmail.com"}
};
var result = list.Where(f);
}
}
class User
{
public string Name;
public string Phone;
public string Login;
public string Email;
public bool IsActive;
}
You can also use it as a Nuget Package
You may want to consider using Entity SQL rather than LINQ in this case. Entity SQL is a string query that works against your EF conceptual model rather than directly against the database.
I have a Linq (Entity Framework) Query as
function getData(string col_to_sort , bool IsAscending , int pageNo , int pageSize)
{
context.table_name.Skip(pageNo*pageSize).Take(pageSize).ToArray();
}
What i want is that if i pass the name of the column as a parameter to the function
and the order it will sort my query too.
Since my column name will be a string so we might need to convert it to ObjectQuery.
How can i achieve this?
Any help is appreciated
You can use Dynamic Linq:
string direction = IsAscending ? " ASC" : " DESC";
context.table_name.OrderBy(col_to_sort + direction).Skip(pageNo*pageSize).Take(pageSize).ToArray();
If you are using Dynamic Linq, then the accepted answer will work.
But If you don't want to add an extra library (Dynamic Linq), then you can pick my first approach. I will explain both the approaches where you have or don't have Dynamic Linq. You can select based on your preferences and choice.
First Approach: When you don't have Dynamic Linq:
If you are using using System.Linq; instead of using System.Linq.Dynamic.Core, then you can use this approach:
orderBy is the string and Student is the T (The Entity, in which we want to search).
Create a Utility class, something like this: (you can anytime covert to extension method If you wish.)
public static class LinqUtility
{
public static Expression<Func<T, object>> ToLambda<T>(string propertyName)
{
var parameter = Expression.Parameter(typeof(T));
var property = Expression.Property(parameter, propertyName);
var propAsObject = Expression.Convert(property, typeof(object));
return Expression.Lambda<Func<T, object>>(propAsObject, parameter);
}
}
And you can use like this:
public async Task<IList<Student>> GetStudents(long groupId, string orderBy, Filter filter)
{
return await _context.Students.Where(x => x.StudentGroupId == groupId)
.OrderByDescending(LinqUtility.ToLambda<Student>(orderBy))
.Skip(filter.Skip)
.Take(filter.Take)
.ToListAsync();
}
Second Approach: When you have Dynamic Linq:
The Dynamic LINQ library exposes a set of extension methods on IQueryable corresponding to the standard LINQ methods at Queryable, and which accept strings in a special syntax instead of expression trees.
You need to include the Library separately. Include System.Linq.Dynamic.Core. The Author of this Library is not Microsoft.. As such no harm in using it.
So, this Library, provides you a method, that accepts the string.
You can pass comma separated values as well in string, this can be achieved by above code as well, but some changes would be required.
In the same example, just pass orderBy:
public async Task<IList<Student>> GetStudents(long groupId, string orderBy, Filter filter)
{
return await _context.Students.Where(x => x.StudentGroupId == groupId)
.OrderBy(orderBy)
.Skip(filter.Skip)
.Take(filter.Take)
.ToListAsync();
}
I have IQueryable object and I need to take the data inside the IQueryable to put it into Textboxs controls. Is this possible?
I try something like:
public void setdata (IQueryable mydata)
{
textbox1.text = mydata.????
}
Update:
I'm doing this:
public IQueryable getData(String tableName, Hashtable myparams)
{
decimal id = 0;
if (myparams.ContainsKey("id") == true)
id = (decimal)myparams["id"];
Type myType= Type.GetType("ORM_Linq." + tableName + ", ORM_Linq");
return this.GetTable(tableName , "select * from Articu where id_tipo_p = '" + id + "'");
}
public IQueryable<T> GetTable<T>(System.Linq.Expressions.Expression<Func<T, bool>> predicate) where T : class
{
return _datacontext.GetTable<T>().Where(predicate);
}
This returns a {System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlProvider+OneTimeEnumerable1[ORM_Linq.Articu]}`
I don't see any method like you tell me. I see Cast<>, Expression, ToString...
EDIT: Updated based on additional info from your other posts...
Your getData method is returning IQueryable instead of a strongly typed result, which is why you end up casting it. Try changing it to:
public IQueryable<ORM_Linq.Articu> getData(...)
Are you trying to query for "Articu" from different tables?
With the above change in place, your code can be rewritten as follows:
ORM_Linq.Articu result = mydata.SingleOrDefault();
if (result != null)
{
TextBoxCode.Text = result.id.ToString();
TextBoxName.Text = result.descrip;
}
If you have a single result use SingleOrDefault which will return a default value if no results are returned:
var result = mydata.SingleOrDefault();
if (result != null)
{
textbox1.text = result.ProductName; // use the column name
}
else
{
// do something
}
If you have multiple results then loop over them:
foreach (var item in mydata)
{
string name = item.ProductName;
int id = item.ProductId;
// etc..
}
First, you should be using a strongly-typed version of IQueryable. Say that your objects are of type MyObject and that MyObject has a property called Name of type string. Then, first change the parameter mydata to be of type IQueryable<MyObject>:
public void setdata (IQueryable<MyObject> mydata)
Then we can write a body like so to actually get some data out of. Let's say that we just want the first result from the query:
public void setdata (IQueryable<MyObject> mydata) {
MyObject first = mydata.FirstOrDefault();
if(first != null) {
textbox1.Text = first.Name;
}
}
Or, if you want to concatenate all the names:
public void setdata(IQueryable<MyObject> mydata) {
string text = String.Join(", ", mydata.Select(x => x.Name).ToArray());
textbo1.Text = text;
}
Well, as the name suggests, an object implementing IQueryable is... Queryable! You'll need to write a linq query to get at the internal details of your IQueryable object. In your linq query you'll be able to pull out its data and assign bits of it where ever you'd like - like your text box.
Here's a great starting place for learning Linq.
I think you find the same mental struggle when coming from FoxPro and from DataSet. Really nice, powerful string-based capabilities(sql for query, access to tables and columns name) in these worlds are not available, but replaced with a compiled, strongly-typed set of capabilities.
This is very nice if you are statically defining the UI for search and results display against a data source known at compile time. Not so nice if you are trying to build a system which attaches to existing data sources known only at runtime and defined by configuration data.
If you expect only one value just call FirstOrDefault() method.
public void setdata (IQueryable mydata)
{
textbox1.text = mydata.FirstOrDefault().PropertyName;
}
I have a variable size array of strings, and I am trying to programatically loop through the array and match all the rows in a table where the column "Tags" contains at least one of the strings in the array. Here is some pseudo code:
IQueryable<Songs> allSongMatches = musicDb.Songs; // all rows in the table
I can easily query this table filtering on a fixed set of strings, like this:
allSongMatches=allSongMatches.Where(SongsVar => SongsVar.Tags.Contains("foo1") || SongsVar.Tags.Contains("foo2") || SongsVar.Tags.Contains("foo3"));
However, this does not work (I get the following error: "A lambda expression with a statement body cannot be converted to an expression tree")
allSongMatches = allSongMatches.Where(SongsVar =>
{
bool retVal = false;
foreach(string str in strArray)
{
retVal = retVal || SongsVar.Tags.Contains(str);
}
return retVal;
});
Can anybody show me the correct strategy to accomplish this? I am still new to the world of LINQ :-)
You can use the PredicateBuilder class:
var searchPredicate = PredicateBuilder.False<Songs>();
foreach(string str in strArray)
{
var closureVariable = str; // See the link below for the reason
searchPredicate =
searchPredicate.Or(SongsVar => SongsVar.Tags.Contains(closureVariable));
}
var allSongMatches = db.Songs.Where(searchPredicate);
LinqToSql strange behaviour
I recently created an extension method for creating string searches that also allows for OR searches. Blogged about here
I also created it as a nuget package that you can install:
http://www.nuget.org/packages/NinjaNye.SearchExtensions/
Once installed you will be able to do the following
var result = db.Songs.Search(s => s.Tags, strArray);
If you want to create your own version to allow the above, you will need to do the following:
public static class QueryableExtensions
{
public static IQueryable<T> Search<T>(this IQueryable<T> source, Expression<Func<T, string>> stringProperty, params string[] searchTerms)
{
if (!searchTerms.Any())
{
return source;
}
Expression orExpression = null;
foreach (var searchTerm in searchTerms)
{
//Create expression to represent x.[property].Contains(searchTerm)
var searchTermExpression = Expression.Constant(searchTerm);
var containsExpression = BuildContainsExpression(stringProperty, searchTermExpression);
orExpression = BuildOrExpression(orExpression, containsExpression);
}
var completeExpression = Expression.Lambda<Func<T, bool>>(orExpression, stringProperty.Parameters);
return source.Where(completeExpression);
}
private static Expression BuildOrExpression(Expression existingExpression, Expression expressionToAdd)
{
if (existingExpression == null)
{
return expressionToAdd;
}
//Build 'OR' expression for each property
return Expression.OrElse(existingExpression, expressionToAdd);
}
}
Alternatively, take a look at the github project for NinjaNye.SearchExtensions as this has other options and has been refactored somewhat to allow other combinations
There is another, somewhat easier method that will accomplish this. ScottGu's blog details a dynamic linq library that I've found very helpful in the past. Essentially, it generates the query from a string you pass in. Here's a sample of the code you'd write:
Dim Northwind As New NorthwindDataContext
Dim query = Northwind.Products _
.Where("CategoryID=2 AND UnitPrice>3") _
.OrderBy("SupplierId")
Gridview1.DataSource = query
Gridview1.DataBind()
More info can be found at scottgu's blog here.
Either build an Expression<T> yourself, or look at a different route.
Assuming possibleTags is a collection of tags, you can make use of a closure and a join to find matches. This should find any songs with at least one tag in possibleTags:
allSongMatches = allSongMatches.Where(s => (select t from s.Tags
join tt from possibleTags
on t == tt
select t).Count() > 0)