Can you get the column names from a SqlDataReader?

var reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();

var columns = new List<string>();

for(int i=0;i<reader.FieldCount;i++)
{
   columns.Add(reader.GetName(i));
}

or

var columns = Enumerable.Range(0, reader.FieldCount).Select(reader.GetName).ToList();

There is a GetName function on the SqlDataReader which accepts the column index and returns the name of the column.

Conversely, there is a GetOrdinal which takes in a column name and returns the column index.

You can get the column names from a DataReader.

Here is the important part:

  for (int col = 0; col < SqlReader.FieldCount; col++)
  {
    Console.Write(SqlReader.GetName(col).ToString());         // Gets the column name
    Console.Write(SqlReader.GetFieldType(col).ToString());    // Gets the column type
    Console.Write(SqlReader.GetDataTypeName(col).ToString()); // Gets the column database type
  }

For me, I would write an extension method like this:

public static string[] GetFieldNames(this SqlDataReader reader)
{
     return Enumerable.Range(0, reader.FieldCount).Select(x => reader.GetName(x)).ToArray();
}

You sure can.

protected void GetColumNames_DataReader()
{
  System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection SqlCon = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("server=localhost;database=northwind;trusted_connection=true");
  System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand SqlCmd = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Products", SqlCon);

  SqlCon.Open();

  System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader SqlReader = SqlCmd.ExecuteReader();
  System.Int32 _columncount = SqlReader.FieldCount;

  System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Response.Write("SqlDataReader Columns");
  System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Response.Write(" ");

  for ( System.Int32 iCol = 0; iCol < _columncount; iCol ++ )
  {
    System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Response.Write("Column " + iCol.ToString() + ": ");
    System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Response.Write(SqlReader.GetName( iCol ).ToString());
    System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Response.Write(" ");
  }

}

This is originally from: http://www.dotnetjunkies.ddj.com/Article/B82A22D1-8437-4C7A-B6AA-C6C9BE9DB8A6.dcik