Filling a DataSet or a DataTable from a LINQ query result set

Question

How do you expose a LINQ query as an ASMX web service?
Usually, from the business tier, I can return a typed DataSet or a DataTable which can be serialized for transport over ASMX.

How can I do the same for a LINQ query?
Is there a way to populate a typed DataSet or a DataTable via a LINQ query?

public static MyDataTable CallMySproc()
{
    string conn = "...";

    MyDatabaseDataContext db = new MyDatabaseDataContext(conn);
    MyDataTable dt = new MyDataTable();

    // execute a sproc via LINQ
    var query = from dr
                in db.MySproc().AsEnumerable
                select dr;

    // copy LINQ query resultset into a DataTable -this does not work !    
    dt = query.CopyToDataTable();
   
    return dt;
}

How could I put the result set of a LINQ query into a DataSet or a DataTable?
Alternatively, can the LINQ query be serializable so that I can expose it as an ASMX web service?

Answer 1

As mentioned in the question, IEnumerable has a CopyToDataTable method:

IEnumerable<DataRow> query =
    from order in orders.AsEnumerable()
    where order.Field<DateTime>("OrderDate") > new DateTime(2001, 8, 1)
    select order;

// Create a table from the query.
DataTable boundTable = query.CopyToDataTable<DataRow>();

Why won't that work for you?