Question

I am looking to optimize my LINQ query because although it works right, the SQL it generates is convoluted and inefficient…

Basically, I am looking to select customers (as CustomerDisplay objects) who ordered the required product (reqdProdId), and are registered with a credit card number (stored as a row in RegisteredCustomer table with a foreign key CustId)

var q = from cust in db.Customers
        join regCust in db.RegisteredCustomers on cust.ID equals regCust.CustId
        where cust.CustomerProducts.Any(co => co.ProductID == reqdProdId)
        where regCust.CreditCardNumber != null && regCust.Authorized == true  
        select new  CustomerDisplay
            {
              Id = cust.Id,
              Name = cust.Person.DisplayName,
              RegNumber = cust.RegNumber
            };

As an overview, a Customer has a corresponding Person which has the Name; PersonID is a foreign key in Customer table.
If I look at the SQL generated, I see all columns being selected from the Person table. Fyi, DisplayName is an extension method which uses Customer.FirstName and LastName. Any ideas how I can limit the columns from Person?

Secondly, I want to get rid of the Any clause (and use a sub-query) to select all other CustomerIds who have the required ProductID, because it (understandably) generates an Exists clause.
As you may know, LINQ has a known issue with junction tables, so I cannot just do a cust.CustomerProducts.Products.
How can I select all Customers in the junction table with the required ProductID?

Any help/advice is appreciated.

Answer 1

The first step is to start your query from CustomerProducts (as Alex Said):

IQueryable<CustomerDisplay> myCustDisplay =
    from custProd in db.CustomerProducts
    join regCust in db.RegisteredCustomers 
        on custProd.Customer.ID equals regCust.CustId
    where
        custProd.ProductID == reqProdId
        && regCust.CreditCardNumber != null
        && regCust.Authorized == true
    select new CustomerDisplay
    {
      Id = cust.Id,
      Name = cust.Person.Name,
      RegNumber = cust.RegNumber
    };

This will simplify your syntax and hopefully result in a better execution plan.

Next, you should consider creating a foreign key relationship between Customers and RegisteredCustomers. This would result in a query that looked like this:

IQueryable<CustomerDisplay> myCustDisplay =
    from custProd in db.CustomerProducts
    where
        custProd.ProductID == reqProdId
        && custProd.Customer.RegisteredCustomer.CreditCardNumber != null
        && custProd.Customer.RegisteredCustomer.Authorized == true
    select new CustomerDisplay
    {
      Id = cust.Id,
      Name = cust.Person.Name,
      RegNumber = cust.RegNumber
    };

Finally, for optimum speed, have LINQ compile your query at compile time, rather than run time by using a compiled query:

Func<MyDataContext, SearchParameters, IQueryable<CustomerDisplay>> 
    GetCustWithProd =
    System.Data.Linq.CompiledQuery.Compile(
        (MyDataContext db, SearchParameters myParams) =>
        from custProd in db.CustomerProducts
        where
            custProd.ProductID == myParams.reqProdId
            && custProd.Customer.RegisteredCustomer.CreditCardNumber != null
            && custProd.Customer.RegisteredCustomer.Authorized == true
        select new CustomerDisplay
        {
          Id = cust.Id,
          Name = cust.Person.Name,
          RegNumber = cust.RegNumber
        };
    );

You can call the compiled query like this:

IQueryable<CustomerDisplay> myCustDisplay = GetCustWithProd(db, myParams);