'Contains()' workaround using Linq to Entities?

Question

I'm trying to create a query which uses a list of ids in the where clause, using the Silverlight ADO.Net Data Services client api (and therefore Linq To Entities). Does anyone know of a workaround to Contains not being supported?

I want to do something like this:

List<long?> txnIds = new List<long?>();
// Fill list 

var q = from t in svc.OpenTransaction
        where txnIds.Contains(t.OpenTransactionId)
        select t;

---

Tried this:

var q = from t in svc.OpenTransaction
where txnIds.Any<long>(tt => tt == t.OpenTransactionId)
select t;

But got "The method 'Any' is not supported".

Answer 1

Update: EF ≥ 4 supports Contains directly (Checkout Any), so you don't need any workaround.

public static IQueryable<TEntity> WhereIn<TEntity, TValue>
  (
    this ObjectQuery<TEntity> query,
    Expression<Func<TEntity, TValue>> selector,
    IEnumerable<TValue> collection
  )
{
  if (selector == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("selector");
  if (collection == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("collection");
  if (!collection.Any()) 
    return query.Where(t => false);

  ParameterExpression p = selector.Parameters.Single();

  IEnumerable<Expression> equals = collection.Select(value =>
     (Expression)Expression.Equal(selector.Body,
          Expression.Constant(value, typeof(TValue))));

  Expression body = equals.Aggregate((accumulate, equal) =>
      Expression.Or(accumulate, equal));

  return query.Where(Expression.Lambda<Func<TEntity, bool>>(body, p));
}

//Optional - to allow static collection:
public static IQueryable<TEntity> WhereIn<TEntity, TValue>
  (
    this ObjectQuery<TEntity> query,
    Expression<Func<TEntity, TValue>> selector,
    params TValue[] collection
  )
{
  return WhereIn(query, selector, (IEnumerable<TValue>)collection);
}

USAGE:

public static void Main()
{
  using (MyObjectContext context = new MyObjectContext())
  {
    //Using method 1 - collection provided as collection
    var contacts1 =
      context.Contacts.WhereIn(c => c.Name, GetContactNames());

    //Using method 2 - collection provided statically
    var contacts2 = context.Contacts.WhereIn(c => c.Name,
      "Contact1",
      "Contact2",
      "Contact3",
      "Contact4"
      );
  }
}

Answer 2

You can fall back on hand coding some e-sql (note the keyword "it"):

return CurrentDataSource.Product.Where("it.ID IN {4,5,6}"); 

Here is the code that I used to generate some e-sql from a collection, YMMV:

string[] ids = orders.Select(x=>x.ProductID.ToString()).ToArray();
return CurrentDataSource.Products.Where("it.ID IN {" + string.Join(",", ids) + "}");

Answer 3

From MSDN:

static Expression<Func<TElement, bool>> BuildContainsExpression<TElement, TValue>(
    Expression<Func<TElement, TValue>> valueSelector, IEnumerable<TValue> values)
{
    if (null == valueSelector) { throw new ArgumentNullException("valueSelector"); }
    if (null == values) { throw new ArgumentNullException("values"); }
    ParameterExpression p = valueSelector.Parameters.Single();

    // p => valueSelector(p) == values[0] || valueSelector(p) == ...
    if (!values.Any())
    {
        return e => false;
    }

    var equals = values.Select(
             value => (Expression)Expression.Equal(valueSelector.Body, Expression.Constant(value, typeof(TValue))));

    var body = equals.Aggregate<Expression>((accumulate, equal) => Expression.Or(accumulate, equal));

    return Expression.Lambda<Func<TElement, bool>>(body, p);
} 

and the query becomes:

var query2 = context.Entities.Where(BuildContainsExpression<Entity, int>(e => e.ID, ids));

Answer 4

I'm not sure about Silverligth, but in linq to objects i always use any() for these queries.

var q = from t in svc.OpenTranaction
        where txnIds.Any(t.OpenTransactionId)
        select t;