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.NET Framework Class Library
IComparer Interface

Updated: October 2010

Exposes a method that compares two objects.

Namespace: System.Collections
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Syntax
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
Public Interface IComparer
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public interface IComparer
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public interface class IComparer
[<ComVisibleAttribute(true)>]
type IComparer =  interface end

The IComparer type exposes the following members.

Methods
 NameDescription
Public methodSupported by the XNA FrameworkCompareCompares two objects and returns a value indicating whether one is less than, equal to, or greater than the other.
Top
Remarks

This interface is used in conjunction with the Array..::.Sort and Array..::.BinarySearch methods. It provides a way to customize the sort order of a collection. See the Compare method for notes on parameters and return value.

The default implementation of this interface is the Comparer class. For the generic version of this interface, see System.Collections.Generic..::.IComparer<(Of <(T>)>).

Examples

The following code example demonstrates the use of the IComparer interface to sort an ArrayList object. In this example, the IComparer interface is implemented using the CaseInsensitiveComparer class to reverse the order of the contents of the ArrayList.


Imports System
Imports System.Collections
Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic

Public Class SamplesArrayList

   Public Class myReverserClass
      Implements IComparer

      ' Calls CaseInsensitiveComparer.Compare with the parameters reversed.
      Public Function Compare( ByVal x As Object, ByVal y As Object) As Integer _
         Implements IComparer.Compare
         Return New CaseInsensitiveComparer().Compare(y, x)
      End Function 'IComparer.Compare

   End Class 'myReverserClass

   Public Shared Sub Main()

      ' Creates and initializes a new ArrayList.
      Dim myAL As New ArrayList()
      myAL.Add("The")
      myAL.Add("quick")
      myAL.Add("brown")
      myAL.Add("fox")
      myAL.Add("jumps")
      myAL.Add("over")
      myAL.Add("the")
      myAL.Add("lazy")
      myAL.Add("dog")

      ' Displays the values of the ArrayList.
      Console.WriteLine("The ArrayList initially contains the following values:")
      PrintIndexAndValues(myAL)

      ' Sorts the values of the ArrayList using the default comparer.
      myAL.Sort()
      Console.WriteLine("After sorting with the default comparer:")
      PrintIndexAndValues(myAL)

      ' Sorts the values of the ArrayList using the reverse case-insensitive comparer.
      Dim myComparer = New myReverserClass()
      myAL.Sort(myComparer)
      Console.WriteLine("After sorting with the reverse case-insensitive comparer:")
      PrintIndexAndValues(myAL)

   End Sub 'Main

   Public Shared Sub PrintIndexAndValues(myList As IEnumerable)
      Dim i As Integer = 0
      Dim obj As [Object]
      For Each obj In  myList
         Console.WriteLine(vbTab + "[{0}]:" + vbTab + "{1}", i, obj)
         i = i + 1
      Next obj
      Console.WriteLine()
   End Sub 'PrintIndexAndValues

End Class 'SamplesArrayList


'This code produces the following output.
'The ArrayList initially contains the following values:
'        [0]:    The
'        [1]:    quick
'        [2]:    brown
'        [3]:    fox
'        [4]:    jumps
'        [5]:    over
'        [6]:    the
'        [7]:    lazy
'        [8]:    dog
'
'After sorting with the default comparer:
'        [0]:    brown
'        [1]:    dog
'        [2]:    fox
'        [3]:    jumps
'        [4]:    lazy
'        [5]:    over
'        [6]:    quick
'        [7]:    the
'        [8]:    The
'
'After sorting with the reverse case-insensitive comparer:
'        [0]:    the
'        [1]:    The
'        [2]:    quick
'        [3]:    over
'        [4]:    lazy
'        [5]:    jumps
'        [6]:    fox
'        [7]:    dog
'        [8]:    brown



using System;
using System.Collections;

public class SamplesArrayList  {

   public class myReverserClass : IComparer  {

      // Calls CaseInsensitiveComparer.Compare with the parameters reversed.
      int IComparer.Compare( Object x, Object y )  {
          return( (new CaseInsensitiveComparer()).Compare( y, x ) );
      }

   }

   public static void Main()  {

      // Creates and initializes a new ArrayList.
      ArrayList myAL = new ArrayList();
      myAL.Add( "The" );
      myAL.Add( "quick" );
      myAL.Add( "brown" );
      myAL.Add( "fox" );
      myAL.Add( "jumps" );
      myAL.Add( "over" );
      myAL.Add( "the" );
      myAL.Add( "lazy" );
      myAL.Add( "dog" );

      // Displays the values of the ArrayList.
      Console.WriteLine( "The ArrayList initially contains the following values:" );
      PrintIndexAndValues( myAL );

      // Sorts the values of the ArrayList using the default comparer.
      myAL.Sort();
      Console.WriteLine( "After sorting with the default comparer:" );
      PrintIndexAndValues( myAL );

      // Sorts the values of the ArrayList using the reverse case-insensitive comparer.
      IComparer myComparer = new myReverserClass();
      myAL.Sort( myComparer );
      Console.WriteLine( "After sorting with the reverse case-insensitive comparer:" );
      PrintIndexAndValues( myAL );

   }

   public static void PrintIndexAndValues( IEnumerable myList )  {
      int i = 0;
      foreach ( Object obj in myList )
         Console.WriteLine( "\t[{0}]:\t{1}", i++, obj );
      Console.WriteLine();
   }

}


/* 
This code produces the following output.
The ArrayList initially contains the following values:
        [0]:    The
        [1]:    quick
        [2]:    brown
        [3]:    fox
        [4]:    jumps
        [5]:    over
        [6]:    the
        [7]:    lazy
        [8]:    dog

After sorting with the default comparer:
        [0]:    brown
        [1]:    dog
        [2]:    fox
        [3]:    jumps
        [4]:    lazy
        [5]:    over
        [6]:    quick
        [7]:    the
        [8]:    The

After sorting with the reverse case-insensitive comparer:
        [0]:    the
        [1]:    The
        [2]:    quick
        [3]:    over
        [4]:    lazy
        [5]:    jumps
        [6]:    fox
        [7]:    dog
        [8]:    brown 
*/



using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections;
void PrintIndexAndValues( IEnumerable^ myList );
ref class myReverserClass: public IComparer
{
private:

   // Calls CaseInsensitiveComparer.Compare with the parameters reversed.
   virtual int Compare( Object^ x, Object^ y ) sealed = IComparer::Compare
   {
      return ((gcnew CaseInsensitiveComparer)->Compare( y, x ));
   }

};

int main()
{

   // Creates and initializes a new ArrayList.
   ArrayList^ myAL = gcnew ArrayList;
   myAL->Add( "The" );
   myAL->Add( "quick" );
   myAL->Add( "brown" );
   myAL->Add( "fox" );
   myAL->Add( "jumps" );
   myAL->Add( "over" );
   myAL->Add( "the" );
   myAL->Add( "lazy" );
   myAL->Add( "dog" );

   // Displays the values of the ArrayList.
   Console::WriteLine( "The ArrayList initially contains the following values:" );
   PrintIndexAndValues( myAL );

   // Sorts the values of the ArrayList using the default comparer.
   myAL->Sort();
   Console::WriteLine( "After sorting with the default comparer:" );
   PrintIndexAndValues( myAL );

   // Sorts the values of the ArrayList using the reverse case-insensitive comparer.
   IComparer^ myComparer = gcnew myReverserClass;
   myAL->Sort( myComparer );
   Console::WriteLine( "After sorting with the reverse case-insensitive comparer:" );
   PrintIndexAndValues( myAL );
}

void PrintIndexAndValues( IEnumerable^ myList )
{
   int i = 0;
   IEnumerator^ myEnum = myList->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnum->MoveNext() )
   {
      Object^ obj = safe_cast<Object^>(myEnum->Current);
      Console::WriteLine( "\t[{0}]:\t{1}", i++, obj );
   }

   Console::WriteLine();
}

/* 
This code produces the following output.
The ArrayList initially contains the following values:
        [0]:    The
        [1]:    quick
        [2]:    brown
        [3]:    fox
        [4]:    jumps
        [5]:    over
        [6]:    the
        [7]:    lazy
        [8]:    dog

After sorting with the default comparer:
        [0]:    brown
        [1]:    dog
        [2]:    fox
        [3]:    jumps
        [4]:    lazy
        [5]:    over
        [6]:    quick
        [7]:    the
        [8]:    The

After sorting with the reverse case-insensitive comparer:
        [0]:    the
        [1]:    The
        [2]:    quick
        [3]:    over
        [4]:    lazy
        [5]:    jumps
        [6]:    fox
        [7]:    dog
        [8]:    brown 
*/

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1
Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.
Change History

Date

History

Reason

October 2010

Added link to Compare method.

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