LIKE operator in LINQ

Question

Is there any way to compare strings in a C# LINQ expression similar to SQL\'s LIKE operator?

Suppose I have a string list. On this list I want to search

Answer 1

Typically you use String.StartsWith/EndsWith/Contains. For example:

var portCode = Database.DischargePorts
                       .Where(p => p.PortName.Contains("BALTIMORE"))
                       .Single()
                       .PortCode;

I don't know if there's a way of doing proper regular expressions via LINQ to SQL though. (Note that it really does depend on which provider you're using - it would be fine in LINQ to Objects; it's a matter of whether the provider can convert the call into its native query format, e.g. SQL.)

EDIT: As BitKFu says, Single should be used when you expect exactly one result - when it's an error for that not to be the case. Options of SingleOrDefault, FirstOrDefault or First should be used depending on exactly what's expected.

Answer 2

Like Extension Linq / SQL

LikeExtension Class

Tested in .NET 5

 public static class LikeExtension {

    private static string ColumnDataBase<TEntity, TKey>(IModel model, Expression<Func<TEntity, TKey>> predicate) where TEntity : class {

        ITable table = model
            .GetRelationalModel()
            .Tables
            .First(f => f
                .EntityTypeMappings
                .First()
                .EntityType == model
                .FindEntityType(predicate
                    .Parameters
                    .First()
                .Type
            ));

        string column = (predicate.Body as MemberExpression).Member.Name;
        string columnDataBase = table.Columns.First(f => f.PropertyMappings.Count(f2 => f2.Property.Name == column) > 0).Name;

        return columnDataBase;

    }

    public static IQueryable<TEntity> Like<TEntity, TKey>(this DbContext context, Expression<Func<TEntity, TKey>> predicate, string text) where TEntity : class {

        string columnDataBase = ColumnDataBase(context.Model, predicate);
        return context.Set<TEntity>().FromSqlRaw(context.Set<TEntity>().ToQueryString() + " WHERE [" + columnDataBase + "] LIKE {0}", text);

    }

    public static async Task<IEnumerable<TEntity>> LikeAsync<TEntity, TKey>(this DbContext context, Expression<Func<TEntity, TKey>> predicate, string text, CancellationToken cancellationToken) where TEntity : class {

        string columnDataBase = ColumnDataBase(context.Model, predicate);
        return await context.Set<TEntity>().FromSqlRaw(context.Set<TEntity>().ToQueryString() + " WHERE [" + columnDataBase + "] LIKE {0}", text).ToListAsync(cancellationToken);

    }

    public static async Task<IEnumerable<TEntity>> LikeAsync<TEntity, TKey>(this IQueryable<TEntity> query, Expression<Func<TEntity, TKey>> predicate, string text, CancellationToken cancellationToken) where TEntity : class {

        DbSet<TEntity> entities = query as DbSet<TEntity>;
        string columnDataBase = ColumnDataBase(entities.EntityType.Model, predicate);
        return await entities.FromSqlRaw(query.ToQueryString() + " WHERE [" + columnDataBase + "] LIKE {0}", text).ToListAsync(cancellationToken);

    }

    public static IQueryable<TEntity> Like<TEntity, TKey>(this IQueryable<TEntity> query, Expression<Func<TEntity, TKey>> predicate, string text) where TEntity : class {

        DbSet<TEntity> entities = query as DbSet<TEntity>;
        string columnDataBase = ColumnDataBase(entities.EntityType.Model, predicate);
        return entities.FromSqlRaw(query.ToQueryString() + " WHERE [" + columnDataBase + "] LIKE {0}", text);

    }

}

Repository

    public async Task<IEnumerable<TEntity>> LikeAsync<TKey>(Expression<Func<TEntity, TKey>> predicate, string text, CancellationToken cancellationToken) {

        return await context.LikeAsync(predicate, text, cancellationToken);

    }

    public IQueryable<TEntity> Like<TKey>(Expression<Func<TEntity, TKey>> predicate, string text) {

        return context.Like(predicate, text);

    }

Use

 IQueryable<CountryEntity> result = countryRepository
     .Like(k => k.Name, "%Bra[sz]il%") /*Use Sync*/
     .Where(w => w.DateRegister < DateTime.Now) /*Example*/
     .Take(10); /*Example*/

Or

 IEnumerable<CountryEntity> result = await countryRepository
     .LikeAsync(k => k.Name, "%Bra[sz]il%", cancellationToken); /*Use Async*/

Or

 IQueryable<CountryEntity> result = context.Countries
     .Like(k => k.Name, "%Bra[sz]il%")
     .Where(w => w.Name != null); /*Example*/

Or

 List<CountryEntity> result2 = await context.Countries
     .Like(k => k.Name, "%Bra[sz]il%")
     .Where(w => w.Name != null) /*Example*/
     .ToListAsync(); /*Use Async*/

Or

 IEnumerable<CountryEntity> result3 = await context.Countries
     .Where(w => w.Name != null)
     .LikeAsync(k => k.Name, "%Bra[sz]il%", cancellationToken); /*Use Async*/

Answer 3

  .Where(e => e.Value.StartsWith("BALTIMORE"))

This works like "LIKE" of SQL...

Answer 4

@adobrzyc had this great custom LIKE function - I just wanted to share the IEnumerable version of it.

public static class LinqEx
{
    private static readonly MethodInfo ContainsMethod = typeof(string).GetMethod("Contains");
    private static readonly MethodInfo StartsWithMethod = typeof(string).GetMethod("StartsWith", new[] { typeof(string) });
    private static readonly MethodInfo EndsWithMethod = typeof(string).GetMethod("EndsWith", new[] { typeof(string) });

    private static Func<TSource, bool> LikeExpression<TSource, TMember>(Expression<Func<TSource, TMember>> property, string value)
    {
        var param = Expression.Parameter(typeof(TSource), "t");
        var propertyInfo = GetPropertyInfo(property);
        var member = Expression.Property(param, propertyInfo.Name);

        var startWith = value.StartsWith("%");
        var endsWith = value.EndsWith("%");

        if (startWith)
            value = value.Remove(0, 1);

        if (endsWith)
            value = value.Remove(value.Length - 1, 1);

        var constant = Expression.Constant(value);
        Expression exp;

        if (endsWith && startWith)
        {
            exp = Expression.Call(member, ContainsMethod, constant);
        }
        else if (startWith)
        {
            exp = Expression.Call(member, EndsWithMethod, constant);
        }
        else if (endsWith)
        {
            exp = Expression.Call(member, StartsWithMethod, constant);
        }
        else
        {
            exp = Expression.Equal(member, constant);
        }

        return Expression.Lambda<Func<TSource, bool>>(exp, param).Compile();
    }

    public static IEnumerable<TSource> Like<TSource, TMember>(this IEnumerable<TSource> source, Expression<Func<TSource, TMember>> parameter, string value)
    {
        return source.Where(LikeExpression(parameter, value));
    }


    private static PropertyInfo GetPropertyInfo(Expression expression)
    {
        var lambda = expression as LambdaExpression;
        if (lambda == null)
            throw new ArgumentNullException("expression");

        MemberExpression memberExpr = null;

        switch (lambda.Body.NodeType)
        {
            case ExpressionType.Convert:
                memberExpr = ((UnaryExpression)lambda.Body).Operand as MemberExpression;
                break;
            case ExpressionType.MemberAccess:
                memberExpr = lambda.Body as MemberExpression;
                break;
        }

        if (memberExpr == null)
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Specified expression is invalid. Unable to determine property info from expression.");


        var output = memberExpr.Member as PropertyInfo;

        if (output == null)
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Specified expression is invalid. Unable to determine property info from expression.");

        return output;
    }
}

Answer 5

In native LINQ you may use combination of Contains/StartsWith/EndsWith or RegExp.

In LINQ2SQL use method SqlMethods.Like()

    from i in db.myTable
    where SqlMethods.Like(i.field, "tra%ata")
    select i

add Assembly: System.Data.Linq (in System.Data.Linq.dll) to use this feature.

Answer 6

Ideally you should use StartWith or EndWith.

Here is an example:

DataContext  dc = new DCGeneral();
List<Person> lstPerson= dc.GetTable<Person>().StartWith(c=> c.strNombre).ToList();

return lstPerson;