Can you use LINQ types and extension methods in IronPython?

Question

Is it possible to use the LINQ types and extension methods in IronPython?

If so how? And also is there often more pythonic to do the same thing?

Answer 1

IronPython 2.7 finally bridges this gap with the clr.ImportExtensions method which adds the extension methods from a namespace to the target types e.g.

>& 'C:\Program Files\IronPython 2.7\ipy.exe'
IronPython 2.7 (2.7.0.40) on .NET 4.0.30319.225
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import clr
>>> clr.AddReference("System.Core")
>>> from System.Collections.Generic import List
>>> dir (List)
['Add', 'AddRange', 'AsReadOnly', 'BinarySearch', 'Capacity', 'Clear', 'Contains', 'ConvertAll', 'CopyTo', 'Count', 'Enu
merator', 'Equals', 'Exists', 'Find', 'FindAll', 'FindIndex', 'FindLast', 'FindLastIndex', 'ForEach', 'GetEnumerator', '
GetHashCode', 'GetRange', 'GetType', 'IndexOf', 'Insert', 'InsertRange', 'IsReadOnly', 'IsSynchronized', 'Item', 'LastIn
dexOf', 'MemberwiseClone', 'ReferenceEquals', 'Remove', 'RemoveAll', 'RemoveAt', 'RemoveRange', 'Reverse', 'Sort', 'Sync
Root', 'ToArray', 'ToString', 'TrimExcess', 'TrueForAll', '__add__', '__class__', '__contains__', '__delattr__', '__doc_
_', '__format__', '__getattribute__', '__getitem__', '__hash__', '__init__', '__iter__', '__len__', '__new__', '__reduce
__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__', '__setattr__', '__setitem__', '__sizeof__', '__str__', '__subclasshook__']
>>> import System
>>> clr.ImportExtensions(System.Linq)
>>> dir (List)
['Add', 'AddRange', 'Aggregate', 'All', 'Any', 'AsEnumerable', 'AsParallel', 'AsQueryable', 'AsReadOnly', 'Average', 'Bi
narySearch', 'Capacity', 'Cast', 'Clear', 'Concat', 'Contains', 'ConvertAll', 'CopyTo', 'Count', 'DefaultIfEmpty', 'Dist
inct', 'ElementAt', 'ElementAtOrDefault', 'Enumerator', 'Equals', 'Except', 'Exists', 'Find', 'FindAll', 'FindIndex', 'F
indLast', 'FindLastIndex', 'First', 'FirstOrDefault', 'ForEach', 'GetEnumerator', 'GetHashCode', 'GetRange', 'GetType',
'GroupBy', 'GroupJoin', 'IndexOf', 'Insert', 'InsertRange', 'Intersect', 'IsReadOnly', 'IsSynchronized', 'Item', 'Join',
 'Last', 'LastIndexOf', 'LastOrDefault', 'LongCount', 'Max', 'MemberwiseClone', 'Min', 'OfType', 'OrderBy', 'OrderByDesc
ending', 'ReferenceEquals', 'Remove', 'RemoveAll', 'RemoveAt', 'RemoveRange', 'Reverse', 'Select', 'SelectMany', 'Sequen
ceEqual', 'Single', 'SingleOrDefault', 'Skip', 'SkipWhile', 'Sort', 'Sum', 'SyncRoot', 'Take', 'TakeWhile', 'ToArray', '
ToDictionary', 'ToList', 'ToLookup', 'ToString', 'TrimExcess', 'TrueForAll', 'Union', 'Where', 'Zip', '__add__', '__clas
s__', '__contains__', '__delattr__', '__doc__', '__format__', '__getattribute__', '__getitem__', '__hash__', '__init__',
 '__iter__', '__len__', '__new__', '__reduce__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__', '__setattr__', '__setitem__', '__sizeof__'
, '__str__', '__subclasshook__']
>>>

which brings it into line with IronRuby 1.1's using_clr_extensions method.