Invalid anonymous type error selecting mutiple columns in LINQ to Entities

Question

I am trying to fill my ViewModel from a few different LINQ queries but I am running into the problem of trying to fill multiple properties from a single LINQ query but I get the error

invalid anonymous type member declarator. anonymous type members must be declared with a member assignment, simple name or member access

I have done some searches and founds some posts but they are all about completely filling a ViewModel and not just a few properties like I am trying to do. What am I supposed to do to fix this, or am I going about this completely wrong?

using (ForumContext db = new ForumContext())
{
    model.ID = db.yaf_Topic
                .Where(t => t.ForumID == 5)
                .OrderByDescending(t => t.Posted)
                .Select(t => t.PollID.Value).First();

    model = db.yaf_Poll
                .Where(p => p.PollID == model.ID)
                .Select(p => new
                {
                    model.Question = p.Question,
                    model.IsMultipleChocie = p.AllowMultipleChoices,
                    model.ExperationDate = p.Closes
                })
                .First();

    model.Choices = db.yaf_Choice
                        .Where(c => c.PollID == model.ID)
                        .Select(c => new
                        {
                            model.Votes.Key = c.Choice,
                            model.Votes.Value = c.Votes,
                        })
                        .ToList();

    model.VotedIPs = db.yaf_PollVote
                        .Where(p => p.PollID == model.ID)
                        .Select(p => p.RemoteIP)
                        .ToList();

    model.VotedUserIDs = db.yaf_PollVote
                            .Where(p => p.PollID == model.ID)
                            .Select(p => p.UserID)
                            .ToList();
}

My Model:

public class PollVM
{
    public int ID { get; set; }
    public string Question { get; set; }
    public bool IsMultipleChocie { get; set; }
    public DateTime? ExperationDate { get; set; }
    public KeyValuePair<string, int> Choices { get; set; }
    public List<string> VotedIPs { get; set; }
    public List<int?> VotedUserIDs { get; set; }
}

Answer 1

You can't assign a variable inside an anonymous type declaration. You need to select the anonymous type variable first and assign its properties to the model properties one by one. Change this part

model = db.yaf_Poll
            .Where(p => p.PollID == model.ID)
            .Select(p => new
            {
                model.Question = p.Question,
                model.IsMultipleChocie = p.AllowMultipleChoices,
                model.ExperationDate = p.Closes
            })
            .First();

to this

var poll = db.yaf_Poll
            .Where(p => p.PollID == model.ID)
            .Select(p => new
            {
                p.Question,
                p.AllowMultipleChoices,
                p.Closes
            })
            .First();

model.Question = poll.Question;
model.IsMultipleChocie = poll.AllowMultipleChoices;
model.ExperationDate = poll.Closes;

The third query below has the same problem

model.Choices = db.yaf_Choice
                    .Where(c => c.PollID == model.ID)
                    .Select(c => new
                    {
                        model.Votes.Key = c.Choice,
                        model.Votes.Value = c.Votes,
                    })
                    .ToList();

I assume there might be more than one choices, so change your model as below

public class PollVM
{
    public PollVM()
    {
        this.Choices = new List<KeyValuePair<string, int>>();
    }

    public int ID { get; set; }
    public string Question { get; set; }
    public bool IsMultipleChocie { get; set; }
    public DateTime? ExperationDate { get; set; }
    public List<KeyValuePair<string, int>> Choices { get; set; }
    public List<string> VotedIPs { get; set; }
    public List<int?> VotedUserIDs { get; set; }
}

and change the third query to this

var choices = db.yaf_Choice
                    .Where(c => c.PollID == model.ID)
                    .Select(c => new
                    {
                        c.Choice,
                        c.Votes,
                    })
                    .ToList();

foreach (var ch in choices)
{
    model.Choices.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, int>(ch.Choice, ch.Votes));
}