Linq to DataTables - The Easy Way

The Problem:

Couldn't easily read an excel file and query it programmatically.
Using JSON.Net took a little longer than I thought it would.
Wanted to brush up on my Linq skills.
This was a rush job

The Solution:

Utilized "Excel Data Reader", which allowed me to read Excel data and converted it to a DataSet
Used Linq to query the data easily, and produced manageable code (for me anyway)
Used JSON>NET to serialize my code and write to the DOM

Code Samples:

DataRow dr = ds.Tables[0].Rows.Cast<DataRow>()
.Where(row => row["Column1"] == DBNull.Value)

.FirstOrDefault();

In this example, I'm wrote a simple Linq query which returned all rows in the DataTable what has any data in the first column. Not the most sophisticated, but you get the point.

What I've Learned:

Originally, I thought casting the DataTable as Enumerable was enough to bring back the desired result. I had a lot of trouble creating a valid where clause, which caused a lot of casting and type comparison errors. Rows.Cast<DataRow> resolved most of the issues. Essentially, casting the collection items to a DataRow type made it easy to grab the values I need quickly.

More Reading:

https://exceldatareader.codeplex.com/
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12195952/making-a-datarow-select-query

Comments

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