Best way to convert IList or IEnumerable to Array

Solution 1:

Which version of .NET are you using? If it's .NET 3.5, I'd just call ToArray() and be done with it.

If you only have a non-generic IEnumerable, do something like this:

IEnumerable query = ...;
MyEntityType[] array = query.Cast<MyEntityType>().ToArray();

If you don't know the type within that method but the method's callers do know it, make the method generic and try this:

public static void T[] PerformQuery<T>()
{
    IEnumerable query = ...;
    T[] array = query.Cast<T>().ToArray();
    return array;
}

Solution 2:

Put the following in your .cs file:

using System.Linq;

You will then be able to use the following extension method from System.Linq.Enumerable:

public static TSource[] ToArray<TSource>(this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<TSource> source)

I.e.

IEnumerable<object> query = ...;
object[] bob = query.ToArray();

Solution 3:

I feel like reinventing the wheel...

public static T[] ConvertToArray<T>(this IEnumerable<T> enumerable)
{
    if (enumerable == null)
        throw new ArgumentNullException("enumerable");

    return enumerable as T[] ?? enumerable.ToArray();
}