[linq] How to Select Min and Max date values in Linq Query

I am moving from SQL to Linq and I need some help. I am testing both Linq-to-SQL and Linq-to-Entities. I want to try both to decide which one suits me best. Your help is appreciated. Thanks

What is the correct syntax (in vb.net if possible) to select the minimum date value from a table?

Dim mydata As New DataClassesDataContext
Dim myresult = From cv In mydata.T1s
                       Select cv.DATE1, cv.Date2, cv.Datex
myresult=Dump()

I have tried I have tried to use

Select amin=cv.DATE1.Min(), amax=cv.Date1.Max(), bmin=cv.Date2.Min(), etc....

is giving this error 'Min' is not a member of 'Date'.

The Data That I want to get min and max on is below:

IOrderedQueryable<VB$AnonymousType_0<DateTime,DateTime>> (16 items) 

Date1                   Date2
17/Oct/09 12:00:00 AM   23/Oct/09 12:00:00 AM
10/Jan/09 12:00:00 AM   15/Feb/09 12:00:00 AM
27/Mar/09 12:00:00 AM   27/Mar/09 12:00:00 AM
30/May/09 12:00:00 AM   30/May/09 12:00:00 AM
25/Jan/09 12:00:00 AM   25/Mar/09 12:00:00 AM
01/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM   01/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM
21/Feb/09 12:00:00 AM   04/Mar/09 12:00:00 AM
02/Mar/09 12:00:00 AM   09/Mar/09 12:00:00 AM
07/Jul/09 12:00:00 AM   07/Jul/09 12:00:00 AM
27/Sep/09 12:00:00 AM   27/Sep/09 12:00:00 AM
05/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM   05/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM
15/Apr/09 12:00:00 AM   15/Apr/09 12:00:00 AM
08/Jun/09 12:00:00 AM   08/Jun/09 12:00:00 AM
07/Jul/09 12:00:00 AM   07/Jul/09 12:00:00 AM
30/Jul/09 12:00:00 AM   30/Jul/09 12:00:00 AM
04/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM   04/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM

Now resolved, but this is not a the perfect solution, it seems that I needed to do a seperate query for each column that requires aggreagate function :

Sub Main

Dim mm = (From cv In T1s 
Select Datez = (cv.Date1)).Min()

Dim mm1 = (From cv In T1s 
Select Datez = (cv.Date1)).Max()

Dim mm2 = (From cv In T1s 
Select Datez = (Date2)).Min()

Dim mm3 = (From cv In T1s 
Select Datez = (Date2)).Max()
mm.dump()
mm1.dump()
mm2.dump()
mm3.dump()

End Sub

The Results are below

10/Jan/09 12:00:00 AM
05/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM
15/Feb/09 12:00:00 AM
05/Nov/09 12:00:00 AM

This question is related to linq linq-to-sql

The answer is


dim mydate = from cv in mydata.t1s
  select cv.date1 asc

datetime mindata = mydate[0];

If you are looking for the oldest date (minimum value), you'd sort and then take the first item returned. Sorry for the C#:

var min = myData.OrderBy( cv => cv.Date1 ).First();

The above will return the entire object. If you just want the date returned:

var min = myData.Min( cv => cv.Date1 );

Regarding which direction to go, re: Linq to Sql vs Linq to Entities, there really isn't much choice these days. Linq to Sql is no longer being developed; Linq to Entities (Entity Framework) is the recommended path by Microsoft these days.

From Microsoft Entity Framework 4 in Action (MEAP release) by Manning Press:

What about the future of LINQ to SQL?

It's not a secret that LINQ to SQL is included in the Framework 4.0 for compatibility reasons. Microsoft has clearly stated that Entity Framework is the recommended technology for data access. In the future it will be strongly improved and tightly integrated with other technologies while LINQ to SQL will only be maintained and little evolved.