Optimizing LINQ Queries for Large JSON Data Sets in C# - Performance Bottlenecks
I'm sure I'm missing something obvious here, but I've searched everywhere and can't find a clear answer..... Currently developing a prototype for a data-intensive application that processes large JSON files. While using LINQ for querying this data, I've noticed significant performance bottlenecks, especially when dealing with collections exceeding 1 million records. The LINQ queries take noticeably longer than expected, resulting in a sluggish user experience. I've tried optimizing these queries by switching from `ToList()` to `AsEnumerable()` to defer execution, but the performance still lags. Here’s a simplified version of the LINQ query I’m working with: ```csharp var results = jsonData .Where(item => item.Status == "active") .OrderByDescending(item => item.CreatedDate) .Select(item => new { item.Id, item.Name, item.CreatedDate }) .ToList(); ``` Additionally, I explored parallel processing using PLINQ. Implementing it like this: ```csharp var results = jsonData.AsParallel() .Where(item => item.Status == "active") .OrderByDescending(item => item.CreatedDate) .Select(item => new { item.Id, item.Name, item.CreatedDate }) .ToList(); ``` Surprisingly, this approach didn’t yield the performance boost I was hoping for. I've also considered using `IQueryable` to push some of the filtering to the data source level, but since I'm working with in-memory JSON data, that doesn't apply. Looking to the community for advice on strategies to efficiently handle such large data sets. Are there specific design patterns or best practices for optimizing LINQ queries under these circumstances? Should I consider restructuring my data or utilizing different libraries, perhaps something like `System.Text.Json` or `Newtonsoft.Json` with custom parsing? Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Is there a better approach? My development environment is macOS. Has anyone else encountered this?