How to convert object[] to List<string> in one line of C# 3.0?

Question

ok I give up, how do you do this in one line?

public object Convert(object[] values, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
{
    //List<string> fields = values.ToList<string>();
    //List<string> fields = values as List<string>;
    //List<string> fields = (List<string>)values;

    List<string> fields = new List<string>();
    foreach (object value in values)
    {
        fields.Add(value.ToString());
    }

    //process the fields here knowning they are strings
    ...
}

Answer 1

If you have LINQ available (in .NET 3.5) and C# 3.0 (for extension methods), then there is quite a nice one liner:

var list = values.Cast<string>().ToList();

You're not going get anything much shorter that what you've posted for .NET 2.0/C# 2.0.

Caveat: I just realised that your object[] isn't necessarily of type string. If that is in fact the case, go with Matt Hamilton's method, which does the job well. If the element of your array are in fact of type string, then my method will of course work.

Answer 2

Are you using C# 3.0 with LINQ? It's pretty easy then:

List<string> fields = values.Select(i => i.ToString()).ToList();

Answer 3

While not a one liner with respect to List<> declaration, gives you same effect without requiring Linq.

List<string> list = new List<string>();
Array.ForEach(values, value => list.Add(value.ToString()));

Answer 4

Agree with Matt:

Noldorin's answer would fail if one object inside values can't be casted to a string, whereas ToString is defined on object.

So, Matt'sanswer is more correct.

Answer 5

One more variant that might be correct:

List<string> list = values.OfType<string>().ToList();

This will filter out any objects in the original list that are not string objects, instead of either throwing an exception or trying to convert them all into strings.

Answer 6

C# 2.0:

List<string> stringList = new List<string>(Array.ConvertAll<object,string>(values, new Converter<object,string>(Convert.ToString)));

Answer 7

Array.ConvertAll(inputArray, p => p.ToString())

This converts an array of object type to array of string. You can convert to other type array by changing the lambda expression.