Best way to convert IList or IEnumerable to Array

Which version of .NET are you using? If it's .NET 3.5, I'd just call ToArray() and be done with it.

If you only have a non-generic IEnumerable, do something like this:

IEnumerable query = ...;
MyEntityType[] array = query.Cast<MyEntityType>().ToArray();

If you don't know the type within that method but the method's callers do know it, make the method generic and try this:

public static void T[] PerformQuery<T>()
{
    IEnumerable query = ...;
    T[] array = query.Cast<T>().ToArray();
    return array;
}

Put the following in your .cs file:

using System.Linq;

You will then be able to use the following extension method from System.Linq.Enumerable:

public static TSource[] ToArray<TSource>(this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<TSource> source)

I.e.

IEnumerable<object> query = ...;
object[] bob = query.ToArray();

I feel like reinventing the wheel...

public static T[] ConvertToArray<T>(this IEnumerable<T> enumerable)
{
    if (enumerable == null)
        throw new ArgumentNullException("enumerable");

    return enumerable as T[] ?? enumerable.ToArray();
}