Clear an IQueryable from its orderby clauses

Question

Is there a way to clear an IQueryable from its ordeyby clauses?

For example, we have a function that returns an ordered query:

public IQueryable<SomeType> GetOrderedQuery() 
{ 
   var query = from item in db.itemsTable
               where item.x != null 
               orderby item.y, item.z
               select item;
   return query;
}

And we have another function that needs to use the same query, but it needs to have it unordered:

public IQueryable<SomeType> GetUnorderedQuery() 
{ 
   var query = GetOrderedQuery();
   query.RemoveOrders(); // How to implement a RemoveOrders function?
   return query;
}

How can a RemoveOrders function be implemented? (Doesn't matter if as an extension method or not)

try this library : https://github.com/MercedeX/GenericDataManager — Ehsan Sajjad, Mar 20 '18 at 12:02
Just order it when it needs to be ordered; so there is no need to "unorder" it. — Sebastian Hofmann, Mar 20 '18 at 12:04
Is it a problem that it is ordered? Maybe because of processing speed? — Harald Coppoolse, Mar 20 '18 at 12:06
@john, you mean why would I want it? Mainly for a code reuse. consider the following use-case: I have website that displays a searchable, sortable grid of `item` records. The grid loads up with some predefined order, but when the client wants to sort upon some specific column, the initial order should be removed. — OfirD, Mar 20 '18 at 12:07
So, instead of taking the ordered list and trying to unorder it, what is preventing you from taking the unordered list and ordering it? That's what I don't understand. — ProgrammingLlama, Mar 20 '18 at 12:08
@john, that's certainly an option, but I wanted to know if I have another one — OfirD, Mar 20 '18 at 12:11
Remember: [KISS](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/25999724/whats-the-difference-between-principles-yagni-and-kiss). — ProgrammingLlama, Mar 20 '18 at 12:11

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 20 '18 at 12:05

If you don't want it ordered; don't order it. There's no robust way to walk back through an IQueryable<T> to get earlier states, let alone remove individual bits out of the middle. I suspect you want two queries:

public IQueryable<SomeType> GetUnorderedQuery()
    => db.itemsTable.Where(item => item.x != null);

public IOrderedQueryable<SomeType> GetOrderedQuery()
    => GetUnorderedQuery().OrderBy(item => item.y).ThenBy(item => item.z);

Clear an IQueryable from its orderby clauses

1 Answers1