Return anonymous type results?

Question

Using the simple example below, what is the best way to return results from multiple tables using Linq to SQL?

Say I have two tables:

Dogs:   Name, A         


        

Answer 1

You can return anonymous types, but it really isn't pretty.

In this case I think it would be far better to create the appropriate type. If it's only going to be used from within the type containing the method, make it a nested type.

Personally I'd like C# to get "named anonymous types" - i.e. the same behaviour as anonymous types, but with names and property declarations, but that's it.

EDIT: Others are suggesting returning dogs, and then accessing the breed name via a property path etc. That's a perfectly reasonable approach, but IME it leads to situations where you've done a query in a particular way because of the data you want to use - and that meta-information is lost when you just return IEnumerable - the query may be expecting you to use (say) Breed rather than Ownerdue to some load options etc, but if you forget that and start using other properties, your app may work but not as efficiently as you'd originally envisaged. Of course, I could be talking rubbish, or over-optimising, etc...