Question

I have a list (simplified)

[Kind]      [Name]
null        E
null        W
4           T
5           G
6           Q
null        L
null        V
7           K
2           Z
0           F

I need {E,L} -> Items where their Kind==null and the next Kind==null too

Assume that there is an ID that is increasing and in order.

Is this forward looking possible in Linq?

Answer 1

Like this?

void Main()
{
    List<SomeClass> list = new List<SomeClass>() {
        new SomeClass() { Kind = null, Name = "E" },
        new SomeClass() { Kind = null, Name = "W" },
        new SomeClass() { Kind = 4, Name = "T" },
        new SomeClass() { Kind = 5, Name = "G" },
        ...
    };

    var query = list.Where ((s, i) =>
        !s.Kind.HasValue &&
        list.ElementAtOrDefault(i + 1) != null &&
        !list.ElementAt(i + 1).Kind.HasValue);
}

public class SomeClass
{
    public int? Kind { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

Edit: Stealing @Jeff Marcado’s solution to implement an extension method similar to the above use but a bit cleaner and not making you deal with the index:

public static IEnumerable<TSource> WhereWithLookahead<TSource>(this IEnumerable<TSource> source, Func<TSource, TSource, bool> predicate) where TSource : class
{
    using(var enumerator = source.GetEnumerator())
    {
        if (!enumerator.MoveNext())
        {
            //empty
            yield break;
        }

        var current = enumerator.Current;
        while (enumerator.MoveNext())
        {
            var next = enumerator.Current;

            if(predicate(current, next))
            {
                yield return current;
            }

            current = next;
        }

        if (predicate(current, null))
        {
            yield return current;
        }

    }
}

// Use:
var query2 = list.WhereWithLookahead((current, next) =>
    !current.Kind.HasValue &&
    (next != null) &&
    next.Kind.HasValue);