A useful DataReader Extension Method

When dealing with data readers, you always need to unbox data out of the returned field and sometimes check for NULLs. Here is an extension method that takes care of the leg work for you.

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;

    public static class DataReaderExtensions {
        public static string ToString(this IDataReader reader, string column) {
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
                return reader[column].ToString();
            else
                return "";
        }
        public static Boolean ToBool(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            return ToBool(reader, column, false);
        }
        public static Boolean ToBool(this IDataReader reader, string column, bool defaultValue)
        {
            try
            {
                if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
                    return bool.Parse(reader[column].ToString());
                else
                    return defaultValue;
            } catch {}
            return defaultValue;
        }
        public static Boolean? ToBool2(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            Boolean? result = null;
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
                result =Convert.ToBoolean(reader[column]);
            return result;
            
        }

        public static int ToInt(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
            {
                return Convert.ToInt32(reader[column]);
            }
            else                
                return 0;
        }

        public static Decimal ToDecimal(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
            {
                return Convert.ToDecimal(reader[column]);
            }
            else
                return 0;
        }
        public static Guid ToGuid(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
            {
                return new Guid(reader[column].ToString());
            }
            else
                return Guid.Empty;
        }
        public static DateTime ToDateTime(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
            {
                return Convert.ToDateTime(reader[column]);
            }
            else
                return DateTime.MinValue;
        }

        public static DateTime? ToDateTime2(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            DateTime? result = null;
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
                result =Convert.ToDateTime(reader[column]);
            return result;
            
        }
        public static Char ToChar(this IDataReader reader, string column) {
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
                 return Convert.ToChar(reader[column]);
             else
                 return ' ';
        }

        public static Byte[] ToByteArray(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            Byte[] blob = null;
            if (reader[column] != DBNull.Value)
            {
                //return Convert.ToInt32(reader[column]);
                //reader.GetBytes(0, 
                //todo wire up the tobyeArray method
                try {
                    blob = new Byte[(reader.GetBytes(0, 0, null, 0, int.MaxValue))];
                    reader.GetBytes(0, 0, blob, 0, blob.Length);
                //reader .GetBytes[0, 0, blob, 0, blob.Length);
                } catch (SqlException e){
                Console.WriteLine("SQL Exception: " + e.Message);
                } catch (Exception e) {
                Console.WriteLine("Exception: "+ e.Message);
                }


            }
            return blob; 
        }


        //This converts an integer column to the given enum (T)
        public static T ToEnum<T>(this IDataReader reader, string column)
        {
            if (!typeof(T).IsEnum)
            {
                throw new ArgumentException(typeof(T).ToString() + " is not an Enum");
            }
            return (T)Enum.ToObject(typeof(T), reader.ToInt(column));
        }
    }

I hope it makes your life easier.