What is the best way to sort using GridView and LINQ?

Question

One thing that LINQ seems to me lacking is the way that columns are referenced by text string. For example, I have a typical GridView configured with this sorting (DataSource bound to LINQ query in code):

<asp:GridView ID="MyGridView" runat="server" AllowSorting="True">
    <Columns>
        <asp:BoundField DataField="field1" SortExpression="field1" HeaderText="Field 1" />
        <asp:BoundField DataField="field2" SortExpression="field2" HeaderText="Field 2" />
        <%-- etc. --%>
    </Columns>
</asp:GridView>

To make sorting work, I have to use two giant Select statements in the MyGridView_Sorting event handler (to handle the upstream and downstream):

Dim query = From t In context.MyTables

If e.SortDirection = SortDirection.Ascending Then
    Select Case e.SortExpression
        Case "field1"
            query = query.OrderBy(Function(x) x.field1)
        Case "field2"
            query = query.OrderBy(Function(x) x.field2)
        'etc.'
    End Select
Else
    Select Case e.SortExpression
        Case "field1"
            query = query.OrderByDescending(Function(x) x.field1)
        Case "field2"
            query = query.OrderByDescending(Function(x) x.field2)
        'etc.'
    End Select
End If

There must be a better way to do this, right? I get the field name and sort direction from the grid - you would think that there is a way to easily pass this into a LINQ query without having to translate it across the field. Does anyone have a better way?

Answer 1

, Self Sorting GridView LINQ