Perform LINQ join on nullable and non-nullable types


When working with Nullable types, join statement in LINQ need to be handled carefully. When you perform a join over nullable and non-nullable types,
compile time exception is thrown saying that "Type inference failed in the call to join". For example consider following classes.

public class Employee
{
   public int EmployeeId
   {
      get;
      set;
   }
        
   public string EmployeeName
   {
      get;
      set;
   }
}


public class Employee
{
   public int EmployeeId
   {
      get;
      set;
   }
        
   public string EmployeeName
   {
      get;
      set;
   }
}

To fetch data from these let's write code as;

class Test
   {
       static void Main()
       {
           var employees = new List<Employee>
           {
               new Employee
               {
                   EmployeeId = 1,
                   EmployeeName = "E1",
               },
               new Employee
               {
                   EmployeeId = 2,
                   EmployeeName = "E2",
               },
               new Employee
               {
                   EmployeeId = 3,
                   EmployeeName = "E3",
               },
           };

           var departments = new List<Department>
           {
               new Department
               {
                   EmployeeId = 2,
                   EmployeeName = "E2",
               },
               new Department
               {
                   EmployeeId = null,
                   EmployeeName = "D1",
               },
               new Department
               {
                   EmployeeId = 3,
                   EmployeeName = "E3",
               },
           };

           var r =
               from dept in departments
               where dept.EmployeeId != null
               join emp in employees
               on new { SourceEmployeeID = dept.EmployeeId.Value, SourceEmployeeName = dept.EmployeeName }
               equals new { SourceEmployeeID = emp.EmployeeId, SourceEmployeeName = emp.EmployeeName }
               select new
               {
                   emp,
                   dept,
               };

           foreach (var item in r)
           {
               Console.WriteLine("{0}", item.emp.EmployeeId);
           }
       }
   }
}

The query highlighted in above code will match the LHS with EmployeeID which is nullable with RHS EmployeeID which is not nullable.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks so very much. I needed to join nullable and non-nullable types.just like this. You have rescued me after a whole afternoon of trouble... Chris J.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so very much. I needed to join nullable and non-nullable types.just like this. You have rescued me after a whole afternoon of trouble... Chris J.

    ReplyDelete

Labels

.net .Net Instrumentation logging .net localization Agile amazon amazon elasticache amazon services AppDomain Application Domain architecture asp ASP.Net authentication authentication mechanisms Byte order mark c# cache canvas app cdata certifications class classic mode cloud cloud computing cluster code-behind Combobox compilation Configuration providers configurations connection connectionString constructors control controls contructor CSV CTS .net types conversion database DataGridView DataSource DataTable DataType DBML delegates design pattern dispose double encoding Entity framework Events exception handling expiry fault contracts fault exceptions function pointers functions generics help HostingEnvironmentException IIS inner join instance management integrated mode javascript join left outer join LINQ LINQ join LINQ to SQL memory leak methods microsoft model driven app modes in IIS MSIL multiple catch blocks no primary key Nullable Osmos Osmotic Osmotic communication Osmotic communications page events page life cycle partial class PMI powerapps preserve precision points private contructor ProcessExit Project management properties property protect connectionString providerName providers query regular expression repository Responsive Web Design return type run-time RWD Saas self join session session expiry sessions singelton singleton pattern software as a service source control system SQLMetal string toolstrip ToolStrip controls ToolStripControlHost tortoise SVN ToString() try catch finally update wcf web application web design web site web.config where-clause xml

Pages