Compare Flexible and Fixed Query Code

Compare consuming data from a flexible query dataset and a fixed query dataset side by side.

Flexible and Fixed Queries

The following console application access a flexible query dataset (Dat.gov U.S. City Crime) and a fixed query dataset (Alteryx Census Demographic Data) so you can easily compare the similarities and differences.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Net;                                       // needed for authentication
using FlexibleAndFixedQueries.USCrime_FlexibleQuery;    // service reference for flexible query
using Alteryx;                                          // namespece of service class for fixed query

namespace FlexibleAndFixedQueries
{
    class Program
    {
        // ----------------------------------------------------- CONSTANTS
        private const string CRIME_ROOT_SERVICE_URL = "https://api.datamarket.azure.com/Data.ashx/data.gov/Crimes";
        private const string CENSUS_ROOT_SERVICE_URL = "https://api.datamarket.azure.com/Data.ashx/Alteryx/CensusDemographicData";
        private const string USER_ID = "yourLiveIdUserName";
        private const string SECURE_ACCOUNT_KEY = "yourSecureMarketplaceAccuntKey";  // not your Live Id password

        // ----------------------------------------------------- CONSTANTS FOR CENSUS QUERY
        private const double LATITUDE = 47.604;
        private const double LONGITUDE = -122.337;
        private const double? RADIUS = 10.0;
        private const double? MINUTES = null;

        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // ------------------------------------------------- IDENTIFIERS FOR BOTH QUERIES

            // ------------------------------------------------- IDENTIFIERS FOR FLEXIBLE QUERYY
            IList<CityCrime> flexibleList;
            datagovCrimesContainer flexibleContext;
            IEnumerable<CityCrime> flexibleQuery;

            // ------------------------------------------------- IDENTIFIERS FOR FIXED QUERY
            IList<CensusDemographicDataEntity> fixedList;
            CensusDemographicDataContainer fixedContext;
            IEnumerable<CensusDemographicDataEntity> fixedQuery;

            // ------------------------------------------------- INITIALIZE FLEXIBLE QUERY VARIABLES
            flexibleContext = new datagovCrimesContainer(new Uri(CRIME_ROOT_SERVICE_URL));
            flexibleContext.IgnoreMissingProperties = true;
            flexibleContext.Credentials = new NetworkCredential(USER_ID, SECURE_ACCOUNT_KEY);

            // ------------------------------------------------- INITIALIZE FIXED QUERY VARIABLES
            fixedContext = new CensusDemographicDataContainer(new Uri(CENSUS_ROOT_SERVICE_URL));
            fixedContext.IgnoreMissingProperties = true;
            fixedContext.Credentials = new NetworkCredential(USER_ID, SECURE_ACCOUNT_KEY);

            // ------------------------------------------------- QUERY FLEXIBLE DATASET
            try
            {
                flexibleQuery = flexibleContext.CityCrime.Where(x => x.City == "Newport").OrderBy(x => x.City);

//  ----------- equivalent LINQ query ... LINQ queries may be used with flexible query datasets
//              flexibleQuery = from c in CityCrime
//                                where c.City == "Newport"
//                                orderby c.City
//                                select c;

                flexibleList = flexibleQuery.ToList();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Flexible Error: {0}\n{1}", ex.Message, ex.InnerException.Message);
                flexibleList = null;
                Console.ReadKey();
            }

            // ------------------------------------------------- QUERY FIXED DATASET
            try
            {
                fixedQuery = fixedContext.GetCensusDemographicData(LATITUDE, LONGITUDE, RADIUS, MINUTES);  
                                                                   // Either RADIUS or MINUTES may have a value, at least one must be null
                fixedList = fixedQuery.ToList();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Fixed Error: {0}\n{1}", ex.Message, ex.InnerException.Message);
                fixedList = null;
                Console.ReadKey();
            }


            // ------------------------------------------------- PRINT FLEXIBLE RESULTS
            Console.WriteLine("Crime Data");
            Console.WriteLine("{0,-15} {1,-15} {2,4} {3,10} {4,13}", "City", "State", "Year", "Population", "Violent Crime");
            if (flexibleList != null)
            {
                foreach (CityCrime crime in flexibleList)
                    Console.WriteLine("{0,-15} {1,-15} {2,4} {3,10} {4,13}", crime.City,
                                                                             crime.State,
                                                                             crime.Year,
                                                                             crime.Population,
                                                                             crime.ViolentCrime);
            }

            // ------------------------------------------------- PRINT FIXED RESULTS
            Console.WriteLine("\nDemographic Data");
            Console.WriteLine("{0,-35} {1,15} {2,6} {3,6}", "Name", "Population", "Female", "Male");
            if (fixedList != null)
            {
                foreach (CensusDemographicDataEntity entity in fixedList)
                    Console.WriteLine("{0,-35} {1,15} {2,6} {3,6}", entity.NAME,
                                                                     entity.POP00,
                                                                     entity.SEX00FEM,
                                                                     entity.SEX00MAL);
            }

            // ------------------------------------------------- HOLD OUTPUT ON SCREEN UNTIL KEY IS STRUCK
            Console.Write("Tap any key to end. ");
            Console.ReadKey();

        }
    }
}

See Also

Tasks

Compare Fixed and Flexible Query Types
Create a Flexible Query Application
Create a Fixed Query Application