linq to entities - Entity framework Many-to-Many relations -

i trying find way make collection of entities (something this):

students:  | studentid |   name    | ------------------------- |    1      |    joe    | |    2      |   jack    |   studentscourses:  | studentid |  courseid | ------------------------- |    1      |    1      | |    2      |    1      | |    2      |    2      |   courses:  |  courseid |    name     | --------------------------- |    1      |   math    | |    2      |   math ii   | 

into ienumerable of this:

class studentdto {     public int id {get; set;}     public string name {get; set;}     public list<coursedto> courses {get; set;} }  class coursedto {     public int id {get; set;}     public string name {get; set;} } 

using linq , ef in c#. have been looking @ groupby() method cannot see how make "fit" needs. hints or suggestions appreciated.

so far have follwing query:

var result = s in db.students              sc in db.studentscourses.where(x => x.studentid == sc.studentid)              c in db.courses.where(x => x.courseid == sc.courseid)              select new studentdto()              {                  id = s.studentid,                  name = s.name                  courses = ???              }; 

how can make list out of courses on each student?

you should move 2 froms select:

from s in db.students select new studentdto() {     id = s.studentid,     name = s.name     courses = sc in db.studentscourses                            .where(x => x.studentid == s.studentid)               c in db.courses.where(x => x.courseid == sc.courseid)               select new coursedto { id = c.id, name = c.name  } }; 

however, recommended have navigation properties in classes: @ least student.studentcourses , studentcourse.course. can do:

from s in db.students select new studentdto() {     id = s.studentid,     name = s.name     courses = sc s.studentscourses               select new coursedto { id = sc.course.id,                                      name = sc.course.name                                    } };