Cross-Table Queries (LINQ to DataSet)

In addition to querying a single table, you can also perform cross-table queries in LINQ to DataSet. This is done by using a join. A join is the association of objects in one data source with objects that share a common attribute in another data source, such as a product or contact ID. In object-oriented programming, relationships between objects are relatively easy to navigate because each object has a member that references another object. In external database tables, however, navigating relationships is not as straightforward. Database tables do not contain built-in relationships. In these cases, the join operation can be used to match elements from each source. For example, given two tables that contain product information and sales information, you could use a join operation to match sales information and products for the same sales order.

The Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) framework provides two join operators, Join and GroupJoin. These operators perform equi-joins: that is, joins that match two data sources only when their keys are equal. (By contrast, Transact-SQL supports join operators other than equals, such as the less than operator.) 

In relational database terms, Join implements an inner join. An inner join is a type of join in which only those objects that have a match in the opposite data set are returned.

The GroupJoin operators have no direct equivalent in relational database terms; they implement a superset of inner joins and left outer joins. A left outer join is a join that returns each element of the first (left) collection, even if it has no correlated elements in the second collection.

For more information about joins, see Join Operations.

Example

The following example performs a traditional join of the SalesOrderHeader and SalesOrderDetail tables from the AdventureWorks sample database to obtain online orders from the month of August.

' Fill the DataSet.
Dim ds As New DataSet()
ds.Locale = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture
' See the FillDataSet method in the Loading Data Into a DataSet topic.
FillDataSet(ds)

Dim orders As DataTable = ds.Tables("SalesOrderHeader")
Dim details As DataTable = ds.Tables("SalesOrderDetail")


Dim query = _
    From order In orders.AsEnumerable() _
    Join detail In details.AsEnumerable() _
    On order.Field(Of Integer)("SalesOrderID") Equals _
            detail.Field(Of Integer)("SalesOrderID") _
    Where order.Field(Of Boolean)("OnlineOrderFlag") = True And _
            order.Field(Of DateTime)("OrderDate").Month = 8 _
    Select New With _
    { _
        .SalesOrderID = order.Field(Of Integer)("SalesOrderID"), _
        .SalesOrderDetailID = detail.Field(Of Integer)("SalesOrderDetailID"), _
        .OrderDate = order.Field(Of DateTime)("OrderDate"), _
        .ProductID = detail.Field(Of Integer)("ProductID") _
    }

For Each order In query
    Console.WriteLine(order.SalesOrderID & vbTab & _
        order.SalesOrderDetailID & vbTab & _
        order.OrderDate & vbTab & _
        order.ProductID)
Next

// Fill the DataSet.
DataSet ds = new DataSet();
ds.Locale = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
FillDataSet(ds);

DataTable orders = ds.Tables["SalesOrderHeader"];
DataTable details = ds.Tables["SalesOrderDetail"];

var query =
    from order in orders.AsEnumerable()
    join detail in details.AsEnumerable()
    on order.Field<int>("SalesOrderID") equals
        detail.Field<int>("SalesOrderID")
    where order.Field<bool>("OnlineOrderFlag") == true
    && order.Field<DateTime>("OrderDate").Month == 8
    select new
    {
        SalesOrderID =
            order.Field<int>("SalesOrderID"),
        SalesOrderDetailID =
            detail.Field<int>("SalesOrderDetailID"),
        OrderDate =
            order.Field<DateTime>("OrderDate"),
        ProductID =
            detail.Field<int>("ProductID")
    };


foreach (var order in query)
{
    Console.WriteLine("{0}\t{1}\t{2:d}\t{3}",
        order.SalesOrderID,
        order.SalesOrderDetailID,
        order.OrderDate,
        order.ProductID);
}

See Also

Concepts

Querying DataSets (LINQ to DataSet)

Single-Table Queries (LINQ to DataSet)

Querying Typed DataSets

Join Operations

Other Resources

LINQ to DataSet Examples