---
title: "LINQ queries"
slug: "linq-queries-1523418"
abstract: "Overview of LINQ queries, including how to create queries to find specific entities in Content Hub."
---
# LINQ queries

This section describes how to create queries to find specific entities in Sitecore Content Hub.

The query object itself does not do querying but it describes the conditions of the querying. The [querying client](urn:resource:component:1284238) is responsible for executing the queries.

First the options and structure of LINQ querying in Sitecore Content Hub will be described, and at the end are some examples.

## Get started with LINQ

The recommended way to create queries is to use LINQ. If you are unfamiliar with LINQ, have a look at [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/linq/get-started/introduction-to-linq-queries](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/programming-guide/concepts/linq/get-started-with-linq).

To fully use LINQ querying, make sure to have the following usings:

```shell
using System.Linq;
using Stylelabs.M.Base.Querying;
using Stylelabs.M.Base.Querying.Linq;

```

## Template

The LINQ template is as follows:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where [conditions]
  orderby [property] ascending | descending
  select e);

```

Multiple conditions in the `where` clause can be chained by using `&&`.

`orderby` can be used to order results based on certain (system) properties, either ascending or descending. Multiple `orderby` statements can be used for more complex ordering.

## Supported entity filters

The following filters on entities are supported for LINQ querying.

### System properties

- Id (`long`)
- Identifier (`long`)
- Definition
    - id (`long`)
    - name (`string`)
- Created by
    - user id (`long`)
    - user name (`string`)
- Modified by
    - user id (`long`)
    - user name (`string`)
- Created on (`DateTime`)
- Modified on (`DateTime`)

For example, to filter on id:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Id == entityId
  select e);

```

### System properties

Depending on the system property data type:

- long: `==`, `!=`
- string: `==`, `!=`
- DateTime: `==`, `!=`, `>`, `<`, `>=`, `<=`

For example, to filter entities modified after the specified date:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.ModifiedOn  dateTime
  select e);

```

### Entity members

- Property value (also supports filtering on values in specific cultures)
- Relations (can be filtered on *parent* id only)

For example, to filter on a property value:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Property("Title") == "Logo"
  select e);

```

## Supported comparison operators

The following comparison operators are supported for LINQ querying.

### Properties

Depending on the property data type:

- string: `==`, `!=`
- int: `==`, `!=`, `>`, `<`, `>=`, `<=`
- long: `==`, `!=`, `>`, `<`, `>=`, `<=`
- decimal: `==`, `!=`, `>`, `<`, `>=`, `<=`
- bool: `==`, `!=`
- DateTime: `==`, `!=`, `<`, `>`, `>=`, `<=`
- DateTimeOffset: `==`, `!=`, `>`, `<`, `>=`, `<=`

For example, to filter entities where the title is not "Logo":

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Property("Title") != "Logo"
  select e);

```

## Additional property filters

The following property filters on entities are also supported for LINQ querying.

### The 'in' filter

The `In` filter allows specifying a collection or comma separated values that, it allows filtering on multiple values instead of a single one.

The `In` filter is supported on:

- Entity id
- Entity identifier
- Property values
- Relation values (parent ids only)

Let's find the entities where the title is set to "Logo" or "Poster":

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Property("Title").In("Logo", "Poster")
  select e);

```

### String filters

String properties support some additional filters:

- `Contains`: the value must contain the specified substring.
- `StartsWith`: the value must start with the specified substring.
- `EndsWith`: the value must end with the specified substring.

These filters are not case sensitive.

The following query can be used to find all entities with a `Title` property that contains "logo".

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Property("Title").Contains("logo")
  select e);

```

## Supported orderings

Ordering is supported on:

- Entity id
- Entity identifier
- Definition id
- Definition name
- Created by user id
- Created by user name
- Modified by user id
- Modified by user name
- Created on
- Modified on
- Property values

For example, to order assets on creation date, and then by title:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.DefinitionName == "M.Asset"
  orderby e.CreatedOn ascending
  orderby e.Property("Title") ascending
  select e);

```

## Select options

Currently only load option and configuration operations are support on the `select` clause.

## Load options and configurations

> [!warning]
> Since version 3.1, these operations are obsolete. The loading configurations and the query object are separated and should be passed as separate parameters (where applicable).

The following select options are supported:

- `InCultures`: loads entities in specified cultures
- `WithProperties`: loads specified properties on the entities
- `WithRelations`: loads specified relations on the entities
- `LoadConfiguration`: loads entities with specified load configuration

Multiple of these select options can be chained. The last operation will always overwrite the previous one where applicable.

In this example, we start from the default query load configuration (loads default culture, all properties and no relations) and we add the `AssetTypeToAsset` relation. The `WithRelations` overwrites the relation load option on the load configuration set earlier.

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where [conditions]
  select e.LoadConfiguration(QueryLoadConfiguration.Default)
  .WithRelations(new RelationLoadOption("AssetTypeToAsset")));

```

> [!note]
> For more information, see [load configurations](https://doc.sitecore.com/ch/en/developers/cloud-dev/load-configurations-1523416.html "Load configurations").

## Result operators

`skip` (skip the first x entities) and `take` (return x entities) are also supported when using LINQ:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  (from e in entities
  where [YOUR CONDITIONS]
  select e)
  .Skip(5)
  .Take(5));

```

This orders the entities by `id` descending, skips the first, or the newest, five entities, and then returns the next five entities.

## Examples

The following is a list of examples. Most of these examples are very simple and self explanatory. Examples tend to be more complex towards the end.

### By id

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Id == entityId
  select e);

```

### By identifier

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Identifier == entityIdentifier
  select e);

```

### By definition id

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.DefinitionId == definitionId
  select e);

```

### By definition name

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.DefinitionName == "M.Asset"
  select e);

```

### By created by user id

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.CreatedById == demoUserId
  select e);

```

### By created by user name

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.CreatedByUsername == "M.Demo.User"
  select e);

```

### By modified by user id

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.ModifiedById == demoUserId
  select e);

```

### By modified by user name

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.ModifiedByUsername == "M.Demo.User"
  select e);

```

### By created on

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.CreatedOn == dateTime
  select e);

```

Also possible between two dates:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.CreatedOn  minDateTime && e.CreatedOn  maxDateTime
  select e);

```

### By modified on

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.ModifiedOn == dateTime
  select e);

```

Also possible between two dates:

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.ModifiedOn  minDateTime && e.ModifiedOn  maxDateTime
  select e);

```

### By property value

Finds all entities with a property `Title` that is set to "Logo".

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Property("Title") == "Logo"
  select e);

```

### By property value in specific culture

Finds all entities with a property `Description` that is set to "Hello world!" in the English culture.

```shell
CultureInfo enUs = CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("en-US");
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Property("Description", enUs) == "Hello world!"
  select e);

```

### By relation parent value

The parent property can be accessed on the entity object to query on a specified relation. Querying on relations requires the relation name and the parent id to be specified.

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  from e in entities
  where e.Parent("AssetTypeToAsset") == assetTypeId
  select e);

```

### A more advanced query

The following query gets the last ten assets made by "M.Demo.User", where the title is "Logo".

```shell
var query = Query.CreateQuery(entities =>
  (from e in entities
   where e.DefinitionName == "M.Asset"
   && e.Property("Title") == "Logo"
   && e.CreatedByUsername == "M.Demo.User"
   orderby e.CreatedOn descending
   select e)
  .Take(10));

```