QueryExtender Linq Orderby using TimeSpan.Parse

Question

Basically I have a QueryExtender control of ASP.NET and First I need to Convert sql varchar value to TimeSpan of CSharp type then apply Linq OrderBy Clause on it, but get an error when execute.

Here is my code:

  protected void FilterProducts(object sender, CustomExpressionEventArgs e)
    {
      e.Query = (from p in e.Query.Cast<accounts>()
                  select p).OrderBy(p=> TimeSpan.Parse(p.TimeTo));
    }

ERROR: LINQ to Entities does not recognize the method 'System.TimeSpan Parse(System.String)' method, and this method cannot be translated into a store expression.

Answer 1

Without knowing all about the shape of your p.TimeTo data I think you can use the string value to order by, this way:

from p in e.Query.Cast<accounts>()
select p).OrderBy(p => p.TimeTo.Length).ThenBy(p => p.TimeTo)

This way, a value 1:00 will be sorted before 11:00.

EDIT

Take:

var s = new[] { "12:10", "8:00", "8:20",  "1:00", "1:02", "10:00", "11:10" };

And see the difference between

s.OrderBy (x => x);

and

s.OrderBy (x => x.Length).ThenBy (x => x);

Which is:

1:00
1:02
10:00
11:10
12:10
8:00
8:20

and

1:00
1:02
8:00
8:20
10:00
11:10
12:10