Converting an object array into a DataTable using LINQ

This is not possible with the current implementation of LINQ, but it is really easy to extend LINQ to support it. I found how to do it here http://blogs.msdn.com/b/aconrad/archive/2007/09/07/science-project.aspx. The method you need is CopyToDataTable, and the code that supports it is (copied from the link above):


public static class DataSetLinqOperators
{
public static DataTable CopyToDataTable(this IEnumerable source)
{
return new ObjectShredder().Shred(source, null, null);
}

public static DataTable CopyToDataTable(this IEnumerable source,
DataTable table, LoadOption? options)
{
return new ObjectShredder().Shred(source, table, options);
}

}

public class ObjectShredder
{
private FieldInfo[] _fi;
private PropertyInfo[] _pi;
private Dictionary _ordinalMap;
private Type _type;

public ObjectShredder()
{
_type = typeof(T);
_fi = _type.GetFields();
_pi = _type.GetProperties();
_ordinalMap = new Dictionary();
}

public DataTable Shred(IEnumerable source, DataTable table, LoadOption? options)
{
if (typeof(T).IsPrimitive)
{
return ShredPrimitive(source, table, options);
}


if (table == null)
{
table = new DataTable(typeof(T).Name);
}

// now see if need to extend datatable base on the type T + build ordinal map
table = ExtendTable(table, typeof(T));

table.BeginLoadData();
using (IEnumerator e = source.GetEnumerator())
{
while (e.MoveNext())
{
if (options != null)
{
table.LoadDataRow(ShredObject(table, e.Current), (LoadOption)options);
}
else
{
table.LoadDataRow(ShredObject(table, e.Current), true);
}
}
}
table.EndLoadData();
return table;
}

public DataTable ShredPrimitive(IEnumerable source, DataTable table, LoadOption? options)
{
if (table == null)
{
table = new DataTable(typeof(T).Name);
}

if (!table.Columns.Contains("Value"))
{
table.Columns.Add("Value", typeof(T));
}

table.BeginLoadData();
using (IEnumerator e = source.GetEnumerator())
{
Object[] values = new object[table.Columns.Count];
while (e.MoveNext())
{
values[table.Columns["Value"].Ordinal] = e.Current;

if (options != null)
{
table.LoadDataRow(values, (LoadOption)options);
}
else
{
table.LoadDataRow(values, true);
}
}
}
table.EndLoadData();
return table;
}

public DataTable ExtendTable(DataTable table, Type type)
{
// value is type derived from T, may need to extend table.
foreach (FieldInfo f in type.GetFields())
{
if (!_ordinalMap.ContainsKey(f.Name))
{
DataColumn dc = table.Columns.Contains(f.Name) ? table.Columns[f.Name]
: table.Columns.Add(f.Name, f.FieldType);
_ordinalMap.Add(f.Name, dc.Ordinal);
}
}
foreach (PropertyInfo p in type.GetProperties())
{
if (!_ordinalMap.ContainsKey(p.Name))
{
DataColumn dc = table.Columns.Contains(p.Name) ? table.Columns[p.Name]
: table.Columns.Add(p.Name, p.PropertyType);
_ordinalMap.Add(p.Name, dc.Ordinal);
}
}
return table;
}

public object[] ShredObject(DataTable table, T instance)
{

FieldInfo[] fi = _fi;
PropertyInfo[] pi = _pi;

if (instance.GetType() != typeof(T))
{
ExtendTable(table, instance.GetType());
fi = instance.GetType().GetFields();
pi = instance.GetType().GetProperties();
}

Object[] values = new object[table.Columns.Count];
foreach (FieldInfo f in fi)
{
values[_ordinalMap[f.Name]] = f.GetValue(instance);
}

foreach (PropertyInfo p in pi)
{
values[_ordinalMap[p.Name]] = p.GetValue(instance, null);
}
return values;
}
}

Thanks a lot to the author of this code!