Represents a string comparison operation that uses specific case and culture-based or ordinal comparison rules.
(in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
<SerializableAttribute> _
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
Public MustInherit Class StringComparer _
Implements IComparer, IEqualityComparer, IComparer(Of String), _
IEqualityComparer(Of String)
Dim instance As StringComparer
[SerializableAttribute]
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public abstract class StringComparer : IComparer,
IEqualityComparer, IComparer<string>, IEqualityComparer<string>
[SerializableAttribute]
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public ref class StringComparer abstract : IComparer,
IEqualityComparer, IComparer<String^>, IEqualityComparer<String^>
public abstract class StringComparer implements IComparer, IEqualityComparer, IComparer<String>, IEqualityComparer<String>
An object derived from the StringComparer class embodies string-based comparison, equality, and hash code operations that take into account both case and culture-specific comparison rules. You can use the StringComparer class to create a type-specific comparison to sort the elements in a generic collection. Classes such as Hashtable, Dictionary<(Of <(TKey, TValue>)>), SortedList, and SortedList<(Of <(TKey, TValue>)>) use the StringComparer class for sorting purposes.
A comparison operation that is represented by the StringComparer class is defined to be either case-sensitive or case-insensitive, and use either word (culture-sensitive) or ordinal (culture-insensitive) comparison rules. For more information about word and ordinal comparison rules, see System.Globalization..::.CompareOptions.
Implemented Properties
You might be confused about how to use the StringComparer class properties because of a seeming contradiction. The StringComparer class is declared abstract (MustInherit in Visual Basic), which means its members can be invoked only on an object of a class derived from the StringComparer class. The contradiction is that each property of the StringComparer class is declared static (Shared in Visual Basic), which means the property can be invoked without first creating a derived class.
You can call a StringComparer property directly because each property actually returns an instance of an anonymous class that is derived from the StringComparer class. Consequently, the type of each property value is StringComparer, which is the base class of the anonymous class, not the type of the anonymous class itself. Each StringComparer class property returns a StringComparer object that supports predefined case and comparison rules.
The following code example demonstrates the properties and the Create method of the StringComparer class. The example illustrates how different StringComparer objects sort three versions of the Latin letter I.
' This code example demonstrates members of the System.StringComparer class.
Imports System
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Globalization
Imports System.Threading
Class Sample
Public Shared Sub Main()
' Create a list of string.
Dim list As New List(Of String)
' Get the tr-TR (Turkish-Turkey) culture.
Dim turkish As New CultureInfo("tr-TR")
' Get the culture that is associated with the current thread.
Dim thisCulture As CultureInfo = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture
' Get the standard StringComparers.
Dim invCmp As StringComparer = StringComparer.InvariantCulture
Dim invICCmp As StringComparer = StringComparer.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase
Dim currCmp As StringComparer = StringComparer.CurrentCulture
Dim currICCmp As StringComparer = StringComparer.CurrentCultureIgnoreCase
Dim ordCmp As StringComparer = StringComparer.Ordinal
Dim ordICCmp As StringComparer = StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase
' Create a StringComparer that uses the Turkish culture and ignores case.
Dim turkICComp As StringComparer = StringComparer.Create(turkish, True)
' Define three strings consisting of different versions of the letter I.
' LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I (U+0049)
Dim capitalLetterI As String = "I"
' LATIN SMALL LETTER I (U+0069)
Dim smallLetterI As String = "i"
' LATIN SMALL LETTER DOTLESS I (U+0131)
Dim smallLetterDotlessI As String = "ı"
' Add the three strings to the list.
list.Add(capitalLetterI)
list.Add(smallLetterI)
list.Add(smallLetterDotlessI)
' Display the original list order.
Display(list, "The original order of the list entries...")
' Sort the list using the invariant culture.
list.Sort(invCmp)
Display(list, "Invariant culture...")
list.Sort(invICCmp)
Display(list, "Invariant culture, ignore case...")
' Sort the list using the current culture.
Console.WriteLine("The current culture is ""{0}"".", thisCulture.Name)
list.Sort(currCmp)
Display(list, "Current culture...")
list.Sort(currICCmp)
Display(list, "Current culture, ignore case...")
' Sort the list using the ordinal value of the character code points.
list.Sort(ordCmp)
Display(list, "Ordinal...")
list.Sort(ordICCmp)
Display(list, "Ordinal, ignore case...")
' Sort the list using the Turkish culture, which treats LATIN SMALL LETTER
' DOTLESS I differently than LATIN SMALL LETTER I.
list.Sort(turkICComp)
Display(list, "Turkish culture, ignore case...")
End Sub 'Main
Public Shared Sub Display(ByVal lst As List(Of String), ByVal title As String)
Dim c As Char
Dim s As String
Dim codePoint As Integer
Console.WriteLine(title)
For Each s In lst
c = s(0)
codePoint = Convert.ToInt32(c)
Console.WriteLine("0x{0:x}", codePoint)
Next s
Console.WriteLine()
End Sub 'Display
End Class 'Sample '
'This code example produces the following results:
'
'The original order of the list entries...
'0x49
'0x69
'0x131
'
'Invariant culture...
'0x69
'0x49
'0x131
'
'Invariant culture, ignore case...
'0x49
'0x69
'0x131
'
'The current culture is "en-US".
'Current culture...
'0x69
'0x49
'0x131
'
'Current culture, ignore case...
'0x49
'0x69
'0x131
'
'Ordinal...
'0x49
'0x69
'0x131
'
'Ordinal, ignore case...
'0x69
'0x49
'0x131
'
'Turkish culture, ignore case...
'0x131
'0x49
'0x69
'
// This example demonstrates members of the
// System.StringComparer class.
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Globalization;
using System.Threading;
class Sample
{
public static void Main()
{
// Create a list of string.
List<string> list = new List<string>();
// Get the tr-TR (Turkish-Turkey) culture.
CultureInfo turkish = new CultureInfo("tr-TR");
// Get the culture that is associated with the current thread.
CultureInfo thisCulture = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture;
// Get the standard StringComparers.
StringComparer invCmp = StringComparer.InvariantCulture;
StringComparer invICCmp = StringComparer.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase;
StringComparer currCmp = StringComparer.CurrentCulture;
StringComparer currICCmp = StringComparer.CurrentCultureIgnoreCase;
StringComparer ordCmp = StringComparer.Ordinal;
StringComparer ordICCmp = StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase;
// Create a StringComparer that uses the Turkish culture and ignores case.
StringComparer turkICComp = StringComparer.Create(turkish, true);
// Define three strings consisting of different versions of the letter I.
// LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I (U+0049)
string capitalLetterI = "I";
// LATIN SMALL LETTER I (U+0069)
string smallLetterI = "i";
// LATIN SMALL LETTER DOTLESS I (U+0131)
string smallLetterDotlessI = "\u0131";
// Add the three strings to the list.
list.Add(capitalLetterI);
list.Add(smallLetterI);
list.Add(smallLetterDotlessI);
// Display the original list order.
Display(list, "The original order of the list entries...");
// Sort the list using the invariant culture.
list.Sort(invCmp);
Display(list, "Invariant culture...");
list.Sort(invICCmp);
Display(list, "Invariant culture, ignore case...");
// Sort the list using the current culture.
Console.WriteLine("The current culture is \"{0}\".", thisCulture.Name);
list.Sort(currCmp);
Display(list, "Current culture...");
list.Sort(currICCmp);
Display(list, "Current culture, ignore case...");
// Sort the list using the ordinal value of the character code points.
list.Sort(ordCmp);
Display(list, "Ordinal...");
list.Sort(ordICCmp);
Display(list, "Ordinal, ignore case...");
// Sort the list using the Turkish culture, which treats LATIN SMALL LETTER
// DOTLESS I differently than LATIN SMALL LETTER I.
list.Sort(turkICComp);
Display(list, "Turkish culture, ignore case...");
}
public static void Display(List<string> lst, string title)
{
Char c;
int codePoint;
Console.WriteLine(title);
foreach (string s in lst)
{
c = s[0];
codePoint = Convert.ToInt32(c);
Console.WriteLine("0x{0:x}", codePoint);
}
Console.WriteLine();
}
}
/*
This code example produces the following results:
The original order of the list entries...
0x49
0x69
0x131
Invariant culture...
0x69
0x49
0x131
Invariant culture, ignore case...
0x49
0x69
0x131
The current culture is "en-US".
Current culture...
0x69
0x49
0x131
Current culture, ignore case...
0x49
0x69
0x131
Ordinal...
0x49
0x69
0x131
Ordinal, ignore case...
0x69
0x49
0x131
Turkish culture, ignore case...
0x131
0x49
0x69
*/
// This example demonstrates members of the
// System::StringComparer class.
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections;
using namespace System::Collections::Generic;
using namespace System::Globalization;
using namespace System::Threading;
void Display(List<String^>^ stringList, String^ title)
{
Char firstChar;
int codePoint;
Console::WriteLine(title);
for each (String^ s in stringList)
{
firstChar = s[0];
codePoint = Convert::ToInt32(firstChar);
Console::WriteLine("0x{0:x}", codePoint);
}
Console::WriteLine();
}
int main()
{
// Create a list of string.
List<String^>^ stringList = gcnew List<String^>();
// Get the tr-TR (Turkish-Turkey) culture.
CultureInfo^ turkishCulture = gcnew CultureInfo("tr-TR");
// Get the culture that is associated with the current thread.
CultureInfo^ currentCulture = Thread::CurrentThread->CurrentCulture;
// Get the standard StringComparers.
StringComparer^ invariant = StringComparer::InvariantCulture;
StringComparer^ invariantIgnoreCase =
StringComparer::InvariantCultureIgnoreCase;
StringComparer^ current = StringComparer::CurrentCulture;
StringComparer^ currentIgnoreCase =
StringComparer::CurrentCultureIgnoreCase;
StringComparer^ ordinal = StringComparer::Ordinal;
StringComparer^ ordinalIgnoreCase = StringComparer::OrdinalIgnoreCase;
// Create a StringComparer that uses the Turkish culture and ignores
// case.
StringComparer^ turkishIgnoreCase =
StringComparer::Create(turkishCulture, true);
// Define three strings consisting of different versions of the
// letter I. LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I (U+0049)
String^ capitalLetterI = "I";
// LATIN SMALL LETTER I (U+0069)
String^ smallLetterI = "i";
// LATIN SMALL LETTER DOTLESS I (U+0131)
String^ smallLetterDotlessI = L"\u0131";
// Add the three strings to the list.
stringList->Add(capitalLetterI);
stringList->Add(smallLetterI);
stringList->Add(smallLetterDotlessI);
// Display the original list order.
Display(stringList, "The original order of the list entries...");
// Sort the list using the invariant culture.
stringList->Sort(invariant);
Display(stringList, "Invariant culture...");
stringList->Sort(invariantIgnoreCase);
Display(stringList, "Invariant culture, ignore case...");
// Sort the list using the current culture.
Console::WriteLine("The current culture is \"{0}\".",
currentCulture->Name);
stringList->Sort(current);
Display(stringList, "Current culture...");
stringList->Sort(currentIgnoreCase);
Display(stringList, "Current culture, ignore case...");
// Sort the list using the ordinal value of the character code points.
stringList->Sort(ordinal);
Display(stringList, "Ordinal...");
stringList->Sort(ordinalIgnoreCase);
Display(stringList, "Ordinal, ignore case...");
// Sort the list using the Turkish culture, which treats LATIN SMALL
// LETTER DOTLESS I differently than LATIN SMALL LETTER I.
stringList->Sort(turkishIgnoreCase);
Display(stringList, "Turkish culture, ignore case...");
}
/*
This code example produces the following results:
The original order of the list entries...
0x49
0x69
0x131
Invariant culture...
0x69
0x49
0x131
Invariant culture, ignore case...
0x49
0x69
0x131
The current culture is "en-US".
Current culture...
0x69
0x49
0x131
Current culture, ignore case...
0x49
0x69
0x131
Ordinal...
0x49
0x69
0x131
Ordinal, ignore case...
0x69
0x49
0x131
Turkish culture, ignore case...
0x131
0x49
0x69
*/
System..::.Object
System..::.StringComparer
Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.
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
.NET Compact Framework
Supported in: 3.5, 2.0
XNA Framework
Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0
Reference