Map collection of objects

Question

I am trying to introduce Automapper into an application for the first time, but I keep getting an error saying I have some invalid arguments.

My model:

namespace StoreGradesLib.Models
{
    public class Store
    {
        [Key]
        public int StoreID { get; set; }

        [Required]
        [MaxLength(120)]
        public string StoreName { get; set; }

        [Required]
        [MaxLength(20)]
        public string StoreNumber { get; set; }

        [Required]
        [MaxLength(120)]
        public string ManagerName { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public long PhoneNumber { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public string AddressLine1 { get; set; }

        public string AddressLine2 { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public string Postcode { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public int WallArea { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public int FloorArea { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public int NumWindows { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public int NumDesks { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public int NumDoors { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public int StoreGradeID { get; set; }

        [Required]
        public bool Active { get; set; }

        public virtual StoreGrade StoreGrade { get; set; }

        [Timestamp]
        public Byte[] Timestamp { get; set; }
    }
}

My View Model:

namespace StoreGradesLib.ViewModels
{
    public class StoreVM
    {
        public int StoreID { get; set; }
        public bool Active { get; set; }
        public Byte[] Timestamp { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Store Name is required.")]
        [Display(Name = "Store Name")]
        public string StoreName { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Store Number is required")]
        public string StoreNumber { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Store Manager is required.")]
        [Display(Name = "Manager Name")]
        public string ManagerName { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Contact Number is required.")]
        [Display(Name = "Phone Number")]
        public int PhoneNumber { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Address Line 1 is required.")]
        [Display(Name = "Address Line 1")]
        public string AddressLine1 { get; set; }

        [Display(Name = "Address Line 2")]
        public string AddressLine2 { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Postcode is required.")]
        public string Postcode { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Must input wall area.")]
        [Display(Name = "Wall Area")]
        public int WallArea { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Must input floor area.")]
        [Display(Name = "Floor Area")]
        public int FloorArea { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Must input number of windows.")]
        [Display(Name = "Windows")]
        public int NumWindows { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Must input number of desks.")]
        [Display(Name = "Desks")]
        public int NumDesks { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Must input number of doors.")]
        [Display(Name = "Doors")]
        public int NumDoors { get; set; }

        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Store must have a grade.")]
        public StoreGrade StoreGradeID { get; set; }

        public string Address
        {
            get
            {
                return StoreName + " " + AddressLine1 + " " + AddressLine2 + " " +                 Postcode;
            }
        }
    }
}

Created mappings:

CreateMap<Store, StoreVM>();
CreateMap<StoreVM, Store>();

Within my controller, I am trying to map a selection of stores to storeVM. I am currently getting my stores as so;

var stores = db.Store.Include(s => s.StoreGrade);
stores = from s in db.Store.Where(s => s.Active.Equals(true))
                 select s;

I am wanting to map the selection of stores to StoreVM, I have tried the following, but i get an invalid parameters warning,

var VMstores = Mapper.Map<Store, StoreVM>(stores);

I am receiving the error that the best overloaded method match has some invalid arguments.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Solution 1

You are mapping collections, not single entities (IEnumerable<Store> to IEnumerable<StoreVM>), so use this mapping

var VMstores = Mapper.Map<IEnumerable<Store>, IEnumerable<StoreVM>>(stores);

Solution 2

Update! Now you can do this:

var VMstores = stores.Project().To<StoreVM>();

Comments

[Riddick]

Ah wow thanks! I tried to vote this up but it won't let me, As I use stackoverflow more I will remember to come back and vote you up! Been bugging me for the last half hour, thank you so much!

[Sergey Berezovskiy]

@user1873098 welcome :) I had same problems when started to use automapper

[mhichwa]

I voted for this answer but doesn't the documentation say that this should work for Lists, ILists et el? I had the same issues with those types automapper.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Lists+and+Arrays

[Moe Howard]

var VMstores = Mapper.Map<IEnumerable<StoreVM>>(stores); Uses the 1st overload (shorter syntax) rather than the 3rd overload (longer syntax).

[DanielV]

a mapper is required, I suggested it in the edition of the post.

[Mike Bovenlander]

Update: for future reference these are called Queryable Extensions and are included in automapper.