"like" queries in Entity Framework

Question

How do I get wildcard text searches (like SQL's "like" statement) in ASP.net MVC using the edo entity framework?

I assumed this would work:

var elig = (from e in _documentDataModel.Protocol_Eligibility_View
            where e.criteria.Contains(query)
            select e);

But it returns no results even when searching for a query string that's definitely in the database. What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

String.Contains should work appropriately. SQL's LIKE statement is typically handled via String.StartsWith, String.Contains, or String.EndsWith.

However, it is possible you're having casing issues. You could try:

var elig = (from e in _documentDataModel.Protocol_Eligibility_View
        where e.criteria.ToLower().Contains(query.ToLower())
        select e);