Linq ToDictionary returns an anonymous type

I want to call a method that returns an anonymous type. I need to know what the Type of this anonymous type is because I am returning it in a method. Is it called "dynamic"? When I debug, the watch window says the type is <>f__AnonymousType0.

Here is my code:

// this doesn't compile
public static Dictionary<int,dynamic> GetRuleNamesDictionary()
{
    List<ResponseRoutingRule> 开发者_StackOverflow社区rules = GetResponseRoutingRules();    
    var q = (rules.Select(r => new {r.ResponseRoutingRuleId, r.RuleName}));

    var dict1 = q.ToDictionary(d => d.ResponseRoutingRuleId);
    var dict = q.ToDictionary(d => d.ResponseRoutingRuleId, d => d.RuleName);
    return dict;
}

public static List<ResponseRoutingRule> GetResponseRoutingRules()
{
   ....
}


public class ResponseRoutingRule
{
    public int ResponseRoutingRuleId { get; set; }
    ....
    public string RuleName { get; set; }
    ...
}

Well, you actually seem to be returning a Dictionary<int, string>. The type of dict's values isn't an anonymous type; it's a plain old string. In fact, there doesn't seem to be any need for anonymous types or dynamic here.

Are you sure this isn't what you really want?

public static Dictionary<int, string> GetRuleNamesDictionary()
{
    return GetResponseRoutingRules()
            .ToDictionary(r => r.ResponseRoutingRuleId, r => r.RuleName);    
}

If not, please let us know why.

If you really want to stick with dynamic, you could of course cast as appropriate:

public static Dictionary<int, dynamic> GetRuleNamesDictionary()
{
    return GetResponseRoutingRules()
            .ToDictionary(r => r.ResponseRoutingRuleId, r => (dynamic) r.RuleName);    
}

It's an object. If you need strong typing, don't make it anonymous.

What I really want to do is return a dynamic type with 2 properties called ResponseRoutingRuleId and RuleName. This is so I can assign it to an MVC select list and specify the dataValue field and the dataText field.

SomeMethod(){
    List<{my dynamic type}> ruleObject = GetRuleObject();

    var ruleSelectList = new Web.Mvc.SelectList (ruleObject, "ResponseRoutingRuleId", "RuleName");
}

List<{my dynamic type}> GetRuleObject(){...}

In my Linq query, I am getting this dynamic object but I don't know what return type to specify in GetRuleObject().