Sort using Expression builder - entity-framework

Question

I am trying to build generic sort method using Expressions.
I came up with the following method. For some reasons the code is breaking at the statement when a nested property is used in the sort expression.
var sortExpression = Expression.Lambda<Func<T, object>>
(Expression.Convert(Expression.Property(sortParam, sortColumn), typeof(object)), sortParam);
private static IQueryable<T> SortQuery<T>(IQueryable<T> query, string sortColumn)
{
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(sortColumn))
{
var sortParam = Expression.Parameter(typeof(T), "x");
Expression expr = sortParam;
foreach (var prop in sortColumn.Split('.'))
{
expr = Expression.PropertyOrField(expr, prop);
}
var sortExpression = Expression.Lambda<Func<T, object>>
(Expression.Convert(Expression.Property(sortParam, sortColumn), typeof(object)), sortParam);
return query.OrderBy(sortExpression);
}
return null;
}
Any idea where I am doing it wrong ?

Answer 1

Try:
private static readonly MethodInfo OrderBy = (from x in typeof(Queryable).GetMethods()
where x.Name == "OrderBy"
let pars = x.GetParameters()
where pars.Length == 2
select x).Single();
private static IQueryable<T> SortQuery<T>(IQueryable<T> query, string sortColumn)
{
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(sortColumn))
{
var sortParam = Expression.Parameter(typeof(T), "x");
Expression expr = sortParam;
foreach (var prop in sortColumn.Split('.'))
{
expr = Expression.PropertyOrField(expr, prop);
}
var lambda = Expression.Lambda(expr, sortParam);
var orderBy = OrderBy.MakeGenericMethod(typeof(T), expr.Type);
return (IQueryable<T>)orderBy.Invoke(null, new object[] { query, lambda });
}
return null;
}
You have to use reflection to invoke the Queryable.OrderBy. In general, casting to object doesn't work very well with Entity Framework/LINQ to SQL, so you can try it, but there is only a very little chance it will work.