Coding Style

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Sometimes when using the method syntax for a complicated query, you dot into method after method after method, as you can see in the example in the previous topic.  These lines can get very long, and a little hard to read.  One approach that I’ve used to good effect is to use a coding style where I line up the dots vertically.  When coded with this style, the query is written like this:

var paragraphs =
    mainPartDoc.Root
               .Element(w + "body")
               .Descendants(w + "p")
    .Select(p =>
        new
        {
            ParagraphNode = p,
            Style = (string)p.Elements(w + "pPr")
                             .Elements(w + "pStyle")
                             .Attributes(w + "val")
                             .FirstOrDefault()
        }
    );
 

The restyling of the query using a query expression looks like this:

var paragraphs =
    from p in mainPartDoc.Root
                         .Element(w + "body")
                         .Descendants(w + "p")
    let style = (string)p.Elements(w + "pPr")
                         .Elements(w + "pStyle")
                         .Attributes(w + "val")
                         .FirstOrDefault()
    select new
    {
        ParagraphNode = p,
        Style = style,
    };
 

This can look a bit strange to some upon first glance, but sometimes I prefer this style.  You just read them like queries.  This is just a matter of personal preference.

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