Can't get Left JOIN linq query to work!

Question

I've been looking at the following post and trying to apply it to mine but with no luck: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/525194/linq-inner-join-vs-left-join

I have the query below that returns 0 records everytime I run it:

        var tasks = from tt in d.luProjectTaskTypes
                    join cbt in d.CostByTasks
                      on tt.ProjectTaskTypeID equals cbt.ProjectTaskTypeID into temp
                    from cbt in temp.DefaultIfEmpty()
                    where cbt.ProposalID == Convert.ToInt32(this.StateItems["PropNumber"])  || cbt.ProposalID == null
                    select new
                    {
                        ProposalId = (cbt.ProposalID == null ? Convert.ToInt32(this.StateItems["PropNumber"]) : cbt.ProposalID),
                        TaskId = tt.ProjectTaskTypeID,
                        CostByTaskId = (cbt.CostByTaskID == null ? 0 : cbt.CostByTaskID),
                        TypeOfWork = tt.ProjectTaskType,
                        AmountRequested = (cbt.AmountRequested == null ? 0 : cbt.AmountRequested),
                        CostShare = (cbt.CostShareAmount == null ? 0 : cbt.CostShareAmount)
                    };

Where luProjectTaskTypes is a lookup table that has a list of options. I want one record returned for each entry in this table regardless of whether it has a match in CostByTasks but I always get 0. What am I doing wrong?!

UPDATE:

This is the SQL it is generating-

SELECT 
    (CASE 
        WHEN ([t1].[ProposalID]) IS NULL THEN @p1
        ELSE [t1].[ProposalID]
     END) AS [ProposalId], [t0].[ProjectTaskTypeID] AS [TaskId], 
    (CASE 
        WHEN ([t1].[CostByTaskID]) IS NULL THEN @p2
        ELSE [t1].[CostByTaskID]
     END) AS [CostByTaskId], [t0].[ProjectTaskType] AS [TypeOfWork], 
    (CASE 
        WHEN [t1].[AmountRequested] IS NULL THEN CONVERT(Decimal(33,4),@p3)
       ELSE CONVERT(Decimal(33,4),[t1].[AmountRequested])
     END) AS [AmountRequested], 
    (CASE 
        WHEN [t1].[CostShareAmount] IS NULL THEN CONVERT(Decimal(33,4),@p4)
        ELSE CONVERT(Decimal(33,4),[t1].[CostShareAmount])
     END) AS [CostShare]
FROM [frgprop].[luProjectTaskType] AS [t0]
LEFT OUTER JOIN [frgprop].[CostByTask] AS [t1] ON [t0].[ProjectTaskTypeID] = [t1].[ProjectTaskTypeID]
WHERE ([t1].[ProposalID] = @p0) OR (([t1].[ProposalID]) IS NULL)

Answer 1

Your problem is in the WHERE clause

When you LEFT JOIN a table, that's fine, but if you set criteria on the LEFT-JOINED table, it basically turns it into an INNER JOIN. You should allow for Nulls to get past this.

where cbt.ProposalID == Convert.ToInt32(this.StateItems["PropNumber"]) OR cbt.ProposalID is NULL

I'm not sure how about the is NULL syntax -- maybe have to be db.null(field), etc. -- you'll have to check on that; but the concept is valid.

Answer 2

Not sure if this'll help, but you could try moving your where clause into the join -

var tasks = from tt in d.luProjectTaskTypes
            join cbt in d.CostByTasks
              on new {ptid = tt.ProjectTaskTypeID,  pid = cbt.ProposalID } equals new { ptid = cbt.ProjectTaskTypeID, pid = Convert.ToInt32(this.StateItems["PropNumber"] } into temp
            from cbt in temp.DefaultIfEmpty()
            select new
            {
                ProposalId = (cbt.ProposalID == null ? Convert.ToInt32(this.StateItems["PropNumber"]) : cbt.ProposalID),
                TaskId = tt.ProjectTaskTypeID,
                CostByTaskId = (cbt.CostByTaskID == null ? 0 : cbt.CostByTaskID),
                TypeOfWork = tt.ProjectTaskType,
                AmountRequested = (cbt.AmountRequested == null ? 0 : cbt.AmountRequested),
                CostShare = (cbt.CostShareAmount == null ? 0 : cbt.CostShareAmount)
            };

You would need to worry about checking for cbt.ProposalID == null and It should produce this sql instead -

 ...   FROM [frgprop].[luProjectTaskType] AS [t0]
    LEFT OUTER JOIN [frgprop].[CostByTask] AS [t1] ON [t0].[ProjectTaskTypeID] = [t1].[ProjectTaskTypeID] AND [t1].[ProposalID] = @p0

UPDATE: Below is the updated version that compiles. A few minor changes got it working.

var tasks = from tt in d.luProjectTaskTypes
                        join cbt in d.CostByTasks
                          on new {tt.ProjectTaskTypeID, ProposalID = Convert.ToInt32(this.StateItems["PropNumber"]) } equals new {cbt.ProjectTaskTypeID, cbt.ProposalID} into temp
                        from cbt in temp.DefaultIfEmpty()
                        select new
                        {
                            ProposalId = (cbt.ProposalID == null ? Convert.ToInt32(this.StateItems["PropNumber"]) : cbt.ProposalID),
                            TaskId = tt.ProjectTaskTypeID,
                            CostByTaskId = (cbt.CostByTaskID == null ? 0 : cbt.CostByTaskID),
                            TypeOfWork = tt.ProjectTaskType,
                            AmountRequested = (cbt.AmountRequested == null ? 0 : cbt.AmountRequested),
                            CostShare = (cbt.CostShareAmount == null ? 0 : cbt.CostShareAmount)
                        };