c# - Fastest way to convert a list of objects to csv with each object values in a new line

Question

I have a class as follows :

public class Test
{
    public int Id {get;set;}
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string CreatedDate {get;set;}
    public string DueDate { get; set; } 
    public string ReferenceNo { get; set; }       
    public string Parent { get; set; }
}

and I have a list of Test objects

List<Test>testobjs=new List();

Now I would like to convert it into csv in following format:

"1,John Grisham,9/5/2014,9/5/2014,1356,0 2,Stephen King,9/3/2014,9/9/2014,1367,0 3,The Rainmaker,4/9/2014,18/9/2014,1";

I searched for "Converting list to csv c#" and I got solutions as follows:

string.Join(",", list.Select(n => n.ToString()).ToArray())

But this will not put the as needed i.e for each object

Is there any fastest way other than string building to do this? Please help...

Answer 1

Use servicestack.text

Install-Package ServiceStack.Text

and then use the string extension methods ToCsv(T)/FromCsv()

Examples: https://github.com/ServiceStack/ServiceStack.Text

Update: Servicestack.Text is now free also in v4 which used to be commercial. No need to specify the version anymore! Happy serializing!