Database.SqlQuery<TElement> Missing

[clockwiseq]

In Entity Framework, there is a method to execute a query against the database and return a specified object type. Entity Framework Core does not have this and the only alternative is 4 times the amount of code. Example below.

Database.SqlQuery (Entity Framework 6.0)

This is the SqlQuery method found in Entity Framework 6.0

var integerList = db.Database.SqlQuery<int>("SELECT [MyIntegerColumn] FROM [MyTable]").ToList();

foreach (int id in integerList)
{
    // do something with each in the list or just return the list
}

SqlCommand (Entity Framework Core 2.0)

This is the DbDataReader method found in Entity Framework Core 2.0

using (var command = context.Database.GetDbConnection().CreateCommand())
{
    command.CommandText = "SELECT [MyIntegerColumn] FROM [MyTable]";
    DbDataReader reader = await command.ExecuteReaderAsync();

    if (reader.HasRows)
    {
        while (await reader.ReadAsync())
        {
            // do something with each in the list or just return the list
        }
    }
}

Honestly, quadrupling the amount of code required to perform the same action and expecting the same result is not "more efficient" in my opinion. I have literally dozens of "quick calls" as I call them in my code that will now require me to convert a single line of code over to 4 (or more).

[ajcvickers]

Raw SQL queries that return arbitrary types is being tracked by #9290.

[devel0]

Meanwhile you can try netcore-ef-util and a code like follow

using SearchAThing.EFUtil;
using System.Linq;

...
var integerList = db.ExecSQL<int>("SELECT [MyIntegerColumn] FROM [MyTable]");
foreach (int id in integerList)
{
    // do something with each in the list or just return the list
}

More complex example here

[enicolasgomez]

This is a perfect example why people is moving to NodeJS and alternative frameworks