NetEvolve.Extensions.Data

NetEvolve.Extensions.Data is a powerful .NET library that provides essential extension methods for working with data access components from the System.Data namespace. The library is designed to simplify data handling operations, reduce boilerplate code, and improve developer productivity when working with databases in .NET applications.

🎯 Overview

This package contains multiple extensions for native .NET components, especially for the System.Data namespace. The main goal is to provide a set of time-saving methods that simplify development in the context of data handling, with a focus on:

• Null-safe data retrieval from database readers and records
• Type-safe generic methods for accessing field values
• Async/await support for modern asynchronous programming patterns
• Column existence checking to avoid runtime exceptions
• Default value handling for nullable database fields

🚀 Features

IDataReader Extensions

• HasColumn() - Check if a column exists in the data reader before accessing it
• Prevents IndexOutOfRangeException when working with dynamic queries

IDataRecord Extensions

• GetNullable*() methods for all primitive types (Boolean, Byte, Char, DateTime, Decimal, Double, Float, Guid, Int16, Int32, Int64, String)
• Safe retrieval of nullable values with configurable default values
• Support for both column index and column name access

DbDataReader Extensions

• GetFieldValue<T>() by column name (generic type-safe access)
• GetFieldValueAsync<T>() for asynchronous operations
• GetFieldValueOrDefault<T>() with fallback values for null columns
• GetFieldValueOrDefaultAsync<T>() for async operations with defaults

📦 Installation

.NET CLI

dotnet add package NetEvolve.Extensions.Data

PackageReference

<PackageReferenceInclude="NetEvolve.Extensions.Data"Version="1.0.0" />

🛠️ Requirements

• .NET Standard 2.0 (compatible with .NET Framework 4.6.1+, .NET Core 2.0+, .NET 5+)
• Multi-target support: .NET 8, .NET 9

📖 Usage

All extension methods are available in the NetEvolve.Extensions.Data namespace.

usingNetEvolve.Extensions.Data;

IDataReader Extensions

Check if Column Exists

usingvarcommand=connection.CreateCommand();command.CommandText="SELECT Id, Name, Email FROM Users";usingvarreader=command.ExecuteReader();while(reader.Read()){// Safe column checking before accessif(reader.HasColumn("Email")){varemail=reader.GetString("Email");}// Avoid runtime exceptions for optional columnsvarphoneExists=reader.HasColumn("Phone");// Returns false if column doesn't exist}

IDataRecord Extensions

Null-Safe Value Retrieval

usingvarcommand=connection.CreateCommand();command.CommandText="SELECT Id, Name, Age, IsActive, Salary, CreatedDate FROM Users";usingvarreader=command.ExecuteReader();while(reader.Read()){varid=reader.GetInt32("Id");// Regular access for non-null columnsvarname=reader.GetString("Name");// Null-safe access with default valuesvarage=reader.GetNullableInt32("Age");// Returns null if DBNullvarageWithDefault=reader.GetNullableInt32("Age",0);// Returns 0 if DBNullvarisActive=reader.GetNullableBoolean("IsActive",false);// Returns false if DBNullvarsalary=reader.GetNullableDecimal("Salary");// Returns null if DBNullvarcreatedDate=reader.GetNullableDateTime("CreatedDate");// Returns null if DBNull// Using column index instead of namevaremailByIndex=reader.GetNullableString(3,"no-email@example.com");}

Working with All Supported Types

// Nullable primitive types with default valuesvarnullableBool=record.GetNullableBoolean("IsActive",false);varnullableByte=record.GetNullableByte("StatusCode",0);varnullableChar=record.GetNullableChar("Grade",'N');varnullableDateTime=record.GetNullableDateTime("LastLogin",DateTime.Now);varnullableDecimal=record.GetNullableDecimal("Price",0.0m);varnullableDouble=record.GetNullableDouble("Rating",0.0);varnullableFloat=record.GetNullableFloat("Score",0.0f);varnullableGuid=record.GetNullableGuid("UniqueId",Guid.Empty);varnullableInt16=record.GetNullableInt16("SmallNumber",0);varnullableInt32=record.GetNullableInt32("Count",0);varnullableInt64=record.GetNullableInt64("BigNumber",0L);varnullableString=record.GetNullableString("Description","N/A");varnullableValue=record.GetNullableValue("CustomColumn");

DbDataReader Extensions

Generic Type-Safe Access

usingvarcommand=connection.CreateCommand();command.CommandText="SELECT Id, Name, CreatedDate, IsActive FROM Users";usingvarreader=command.ExecuteReader();while(reader.Read()){// Generic type-safe access by column namevarid=reader.GetFieldValue<int>("Id");varname=reader.GetFieldValue<string>("Name");varcreatedDate=reader.GetFieldValue<DateTime>("CreatedDate");varisActive=reader.GetFieldValue<bool>("IsActive");// With default values for nullable columnsvaremail=reader.GetFieldValueOrDefault<string>("Email","no-email@example.com");varlastLogin=reader.GetFieldValueOrDefault<DateTime?>("LastLogin");// Using column ordinalvaridByOrdinal=reader.GetFieldValueOrDefault<int>(0,-1);}

Async Operations

usingvarcommand=connection.CreateCommand();command.CommandText="SELECT Id, Name, Data FROM LargeTable";usingvarreader=awaitcommand.ExecuteReaderAsync();while(awaitreader.ReadAsync()){// Async field value retrievalvarid=awaitreader.GetFieldValueAsync<int>("Id");varname=awaitreader.GetFieldValueAsync<string>("Name");// Async with default valuesvardata=awaitreader.GetFieldValueOrDefaultAsync<byte[]>("Data",Array.Empty<byte>());// With cancellation tokenusingvarcts=newCancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30));varlargeField=awaitreader.GetFieldValueOrDefaultAsync<string>("LargeTextField","",cts.Token);}

🏗️ Real-World Example

publicclassUserService{privatereadonlyIDbConnection_connection;publicUserService(IDbConnectionconnection){_connection=connection;}publicasyncTask<IEnumerable<User>>GetUsersAsync(CancellationTokencancellationToken=default){varusers=newList<User>();usingvarcommand=_connection.CreateCommand();command.CommandText=""" SELECT  Id,  FirstName,  LastName,  Email,  Phone,  IsActive,  CreatedDate,  LastLoginDate, ProfileImageData FROM Users  WHERE IsDeleted = 0 """;usingvarreader=awaitcommand.ExecuteReaderAsync(cancellationToken);while(awaitreader.ReadAsync(cancellationToken)){varuser=newUser{Id=reader.GetFieldValue<int>("Id"),FirstName=reader.GetFieldValue<string>("FirstName"),LastName=reader.GetFieldValueOrDefault<string>("LastName",""),Email=reader.GetNullableString("Email"),Phone=reader.GetNullableString("Phone","N/A"),IsActive=reader.GetNullableBoolean("IsActive",true),CreatedDate=reader.GetFieldValue<DateTime>("CreatedDate"),LastLoginDate=reader.GetNullableDateTime("LastLoginDate"),ProfileImage=awaitreader.GetFieldValueOrDefaultAsync<byte[]>("ProfileImageData",Array.Empty<byte>(),cancellationToken)};users.Add(user);}returnusers;}}publicclassUser{publicintId{get;set;}publicstringFirstName{get;set;}=string.Empty;publicstringLastName{get;set;}=string.Empty;publicstring?Email{get;set;}publicstring?Phone{get;set;}publicboolIsActive{get;set;}publicDateTimeCreatedDate{get;set;}publicDateTime?LastLoginDate{get;set;}publicbyte[]?ProfileImage{get;set;}}

📚 API Reference

IDataReaderExtensions

Method	Description
HasColumn(string name)	Determines whether the data reader contains a column with the specified name

IDataRecordExtensions

Method	Description
GetNullableBoolean(int i, bool? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Boolean from column index
GetNullableBoolean(string name, bool? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Boolean from column name
GetNullableByte(int i, byte? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Byte from column index
GetNullableByte(string name, byte? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Byte from column name
GetNullableChar(int i, char? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Char from column index
GetNullableChar(string name, char? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Char from column name
GetNullableDateTime(int i, DateTime? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable DateTime from column index
GetNullableDateTime(string name, DateTime? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable DateTime from column name
GetNullableDecimal(int i, decimal? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Decimal from column index
GetNullableDecimal(string name, decimal? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Decimal from column name
GetNullableDouble(int i, double? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Double from column index
GetNullableDouble(string name, double? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Double from column name
GetNullableFloat(int i, float? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Float from column index
GetNullableFloat(string name, float? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Float from column name
GetNullableGuid(int i, Guid? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Guid from column index
GetNullableGuid(string name, Guid? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Guid from column name
GetNullableInt16(int i, short? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Int16 from column index
GetNullableInt16(string name, short? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Int16 from column name
GetNullableInt32(int i, int? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Int32 from column index
GetNullableInt32(string name, int? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Int32 from column name
GetNullableInt64(int i, long? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Int64 from column index
GetNullableInt64(string name, long? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Int64 from column name
GetNullableString(int i, string? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable String from column index
GetNullableString(string name, string? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable String from column name
GetNullableValue(int i, object? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Object from column index
GetNullableValue(string name, object? defaultValue = null)	Retrieves a nullable Object from column name

DbDataReaderExtensions

Method	Description
GetFieldValue<T>(string name)	Gets the value of the specified column as the requested type
GetFieldValueAsync<T>(string name, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)	Asynchronously gets the value of the specified column as the requested type
GetFieldValueOrDefault<T>(int ordinal, T defaultValue = default!)	Gets the value of the specified column or the default value if null
GetFieldValueOrDefault<T>(string name, T defaultValue = default!)	Gets the value of the specified column or the default value if null
GetFieldValueOrDefaultAsync<T>(int ordinal, T defaultValue = default!, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)	Asynchronously gets the value of the specified column or the default value if null
GetFieldValueOrDefaultAsync<T>(string name, T defaultValue = default!, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)	Asynchronously gets the value of the specified column or the default value if null

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues, feature requests, or pull requests.

🔗 Related Packages

This package is part of the NetEvolve ecosystem of .NET extensions and utilities. Check out other packages in the NetEvolve family for additional functionality.

---

Made with ❤️ by the NetEvolve Team