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Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

Other versions are also available for the following:
.NET Framework Class Library
IComparable Interface

Updated: July 2008

Defines a generalized type-specific comparison method that a value type or class implements to order or sort its instances.

Namespace:  System
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
Public Interface IComparable
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As IComparable
C#
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public interface IComparable
Visual C++
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public interface class IComparable
JScript
public interface IComparable

This interface is implemented by types whose values can be ordered or sorted. It requires that implementing types define a single method, CompareTo, that indicates whether the position of the current instance in the sort order is before, after, or the same as a second object of the same type. The instance's IComparable implementation is called automatically by methods such as Array..::.Sort and ArrayList..::.Sort.

All numeric types (such as Int32 and Double) implement IComparable, as do String, Char, and DateTime. Custom types should also provide their own implementation of IComparable to enable object instances to be ordered or sorted.

The following code sample illustrates the implementation of IComparable and the requisite CompareTo method.

Visual Basic
Imports System.Collections

Public Class Temperature
    Implements IComparable
    ' The temperature value
    Protected temperatureF As Double

    Public Overloads Function CompareTo(ByVal obj As Object) As Integer _
        Implements IComparable.CompareTo

        Dim otherTemperature As Temperature = TryCast(obj, Temperature)
        If otherTemperature IsNot Nothing Then
            Return Me.temperatureF.CompareTo(otherTemperature.temperatureF)
        Else
           Throw New ArgumentException("Object is not a Temperature")
        End If   
    End Function

    Public Property Fahrenheit() As Double
        Get
            Return temperatureF
        End Get
        Set(ByVal Value As Double)
            Me.temperatureF = Value
        End Set
    End Property

    Public Property Celsius() As Double
        Get
            Return (temperatureF - 32) * (5/9)
        End Get
        Set(ByVal Value As Double)
            Me.temperatureF = (Value * 9/5) + 32
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

Public Module CompareTemperatures
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim temperatures As New ArrayList
      ' Initialize random number generator.
      Dim rnd As New Random()

      ' Generate 10 temperatures between 0 and 100 randomly.
      For ctr As Integer = 1 To 10
         Dim degrees As Integer = rnd.Next(0, 100)
         Dim temp As New Temperature
         temp.Fahrenheit = degrees
         temperatures.Add(temp)   
      Next

      ' Sort ArrayList.
      temperatures.Sort()

      For Each temp As Temperature In temperatures
         Console.WriteLine(temp.Fahrenheit)
      Next      
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output to the console (individual
' values may vary because they are randomly generated):
'       2
'       7
'       16
'       17
'       31
'       37
'       58
'       66
'       72
'       95
C#
using System;
using System.Collections;

public class Temperature : IComparable 
{
    // The temperature value
    protected double temperatureF;

    public int CompareTo(object obj) {
        Temperature otherTemperature = obj as Temperature; 
        if (otherTemperature != null)
            return this.temperatureF.CompareTo(otherTemperature.temperatureF);
        else
           throw new ArgumentException("Object is not a Temperature");
    }

    public double Fahrenheit 
    {
        get 
        {
            return this.temperatureF;
        }
        set {
            this.temperatureF = value;
        }
    }

    public double Celsius 
    {
        get 
        {
            return (this.temperatureF - 32) * (5.0/9);
        }
        set 
        {
            this.temperatureF = (value * 9.0/5) + 32;
        }
    }
}

public class CompareTemperatures
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      ArrayList temperatures = new ArrayList();
      // Initialize random number generator.
      Random rnd = new Random();

      // Generate 10 temperatures between 0 and 100 randomly.
      for (int ctr = 1; ctr <= 10; ctr++)
      {
         int degrees = rnd.Next(0, 100);
         Temperature temp = new Temperature();
         temp.Fahrenheit = degrees;
         temperatures.Add(temp);   
      }

      // Sort ArrayList.
      temperatures.Sort();

      foreach (Temperature temp in temperatures)
         Console.WriteLine(temp.Fahrenheit);

   }
}
// The example displays the following output to the console (individual
// values may vary because they are randomly generated):
//       2
//       7
//       16
//       17
//       31
//       37
//       58
//       66
//       72
//       95
Visual C++
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections;

public ref class Temperature: public IComparable {
   /// <summary>
   /// IComparable.CompareTo implementation.
   /// </summary>
protected:
   // The value holder
   Double m_value;

public:
   virtual Int32 CompareTo( Object^ obj ) {
      if ( obj->GetType() == Temperature::typeid ) {
         Temperature^ temp = dynamic_cast<Temperature^>(obj);

         return m_value.CompareTo( temp->m_value );
      }
      throw gcnew ArgumentException(  "object is not a Temperature" );
   }

   property Double Value {
      Double get() {
         return m_value;
      }
      void set( Double value ) {
         m_value = value;
      }
   }

   property Double Celsius  {
      Double get() {
         return (m_value - 32) / 1.8;
      }
      void set( Double value ) {
         m_value = (value * 1.8) + 32;
      }
   }
};

int main()
{
   ArrayList^ temperatures = gcnew ArrayList;
   // Initialize random number generator.
   Random^ rnd = gcnew Random;

   // Generate 10 temperatures between 0 and 100 randomly.
   for (int ctr = 1; ctr <= 10; ctr++)
   {
      int degrees = rnd->Next(0, 100);
      Temperature^ temp = gcnew Temperature;
      temp->Value = degrees;
      temperatures->Add(temp);
   }

   // Sort ArrayList.
   temperatures->Sort();

   for each (Temperature^ temp in temperatures)
      Console::WriteLine(temp->Value);
   return 0;
}
// The example displays the following output to the console (individual
// values may vary because they are randomly generated):
//       2
//       7
//       16
//       17
//       31
//       37
//       58
//       66
//       72
//       95

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360, Zune

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

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

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0, 1.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0

Date

History

Reason

July 2008

Added detail on usage by the common language runtime and information for implementors.

Customer feedback.

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