How to create a List<T> from a comma separated string?

Question

Given the variable

string ids = Request.QueryString["ids"]; // "1,2,3,4,5";

Is there any way to convert it into a List without doing something like

List<int> myList = new List<int>();

foreach (string id in ids.Split(','))
{
    if (int.TryParse(id))
    {
        myList.Add(Convert.ToInt32(id));
    }
}

Answer 1

To create the list from scratch, use LINQ:

ids.Split(',').Select(i => int.Parse(i)).ToList();

If you already have the list object, omit the ToList() call and use AddRange:

myList.AddRange(ids.Split(',').Select(i => int.Parse(i)));

If some entries in the string may not be integers, you can use TryParse:

int temp;
var myList = ids.Split(',')
    .Select(s => new { P = int.TryParse(s, out temp), I = temp })
    .Where(x => x.P)
    .Select(x => x.I)
    .ToList();

One final (slower) method that avoids temps/TryParse but skips invalid entries is to use Regex:

var myList = Regex.Matches(ids, "[0-9]+").Cast<Match>().SelectMany(m => m.Groups.Cast<Group>()).Select(g => int.Parse(g.Value));

However, this can throw if one of your entries overflows int (999999999999).

Answer 2

This should do the trick:

myList.Split(',').Select(s => Convert.ToInt32(s)).ToList();

If the list may contain other data besides integers, a TryParse call should be included. See the accepted answer.