private DbExpression Project(DbExpressionBinding input, DbExpression projection) { var retExpr = _orderByLifter.Project(input, projection); // For identity projection only, the Span is preserved if (projection.ExpressionKind == DbExpressionKind.VariableReference && ((DbVariableReferenceExpression)projection).VariableName.Equals(input.VariableName, StringComparison.Ordinal)) { ApplySpanMapping(input.Expression, retExpr); } return retExpr; }