How Can I Efficiently Cast a List of One Type to Another in C#?

Casting Lists More Concisely

In C#, casting a list of items from one type to another can be accomplished by explicitly casting each individual item. This process is time-consuming and can make code cluttered. Is there a way to streamline this process by casting the entire list at once?

The original proposal suggests using direct casting:

ListOfY = (List<Y>)ListOfX;

While this may seem logical, it is not possible with C# as it currently stands. However, there is a more concise and efficient solution:

List<Y> listOfY = listOfX.Cast<Y>().ToList();

This method utilizes the Cast extension method to convert each item in the list to the target type, Y. The ToList() method is then called on the resulting IEnumerable to create a new List containing the converted items.

Important Notes:

• Include using System.Linq; to access the Cast extension method.
• This method casts individual items, not the list itself.
• It does not support custom conversion operators.
• If the source object has an explicit operator method (framework 4.0), this method will not work.

The above is the detailed content of How Can I Efficiently Cast a List of One Type to Another in C#?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!