Is There a Shorter Way to Cast a List to a List in C#?

Shorter Syntax for Casting from a List to a List

Casting a list of items from one type to another can often be achieved using the following approach:

List<Y> ListOfY = new List<Y>();

foreach (X x in ListOfX)
    ListOfY.Add((Y)x);

However, this method requires casting each item individually, which can be cumbersome. Is there not a more concise way to cast the entire list in one step?

Answer

Yes, the Cast<> extension method in the System.Linq namespace provides a concise syntax for casting a list. Here's how you can use it:

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

Keep in mind the following points:

• Import the using System.Linq; namespace.
• This method casts each item in the list, not the list itself. The ToList() method is used to create a new List with the casted items.
• Cast<> does not support custom conversion operators. In such cases, you may need to resort to the explicit casting loop approach shown earlier.
• Cast<> does not work for objects with explicit operator methods (framework 4.0).

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