c# - Recommended way to check if a sequence is empty -

a method returns sequence, ienumerable<t>, , want check if empty. how recommend doing that? i'm looking both readability , performance.

the first , obvious way check count greater zero:

if(sequence.count() == 0) 

has decent readability, terrible performance since has go through whole sequence.

a method use following:

if(!sequence.any()) 

this doesn't (as far know) have go through whole sequence, readability bit backwards , awkward. (reads lot better if checking sequence not empty though).

another option use first in try-catch, this:

try {     sequence.first(); } catch(invalidoperationexception) {     // } 

not pretty solution, , slower too, since using exceptions , stuff. prevent using firstordefault of course, except have big problem if first item in sequence was default value ;)

so, other ways check if sequence empty? 1 use? 1 recommend use?

note: optimal readability put 1 of above snippets in isempty extension method, still curious since have inside method :p

i use !sequence.any(), personally.

if really need to, write own extension method:

public static bool isempty<t>(this ienumerable<t> source) {     return !source.any(); } 

then can write:

if (sequence.isempty())