Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Public Class DinoComparer
Implements IComparer(Of String)
Public Function Compare(ByVal x As String, _
ByVal y As String) As Integer _
Implements IComparer(Of String).Compare
If x Is Nothing Then
If y Is Nothing Then
' If x is Nothing and y is Nothing, they're
' equal.
Return 0
Else
' If x is Nothing and y is not Nothing, y
' is greater.
Return -1
End If
Else
' If x is not Nothing...
'
If y Is Nothing Then
' ...and y is Nothing, x is greater.
Return 1
Else
' ...and y is not Nothing, compare the
' lengths of the two strings.
'
Dim retval As Integer = _
x.Length.CompareTo(y.Length)
If retval <> 0 Then
' If the strings are not of equal length,
' the longer string is greater.
'
Return retval
Else
' If the strings are of equal length,
' sort them with ordinary string comparison.
'
Return x.CompareTo(y)
End If
End If
End If
End Function
End Class
Public Class Example
Public Shared Sub Main()
Dim dinosaurs As New List(Of String)
dinosaurs.Add("Pachycephalosaurus")
dinosaurs.Add("Amargasaurus")
dinosaurs.Add("Mamenchisaurus")
dinosaurs.Add("Deinonychus")
Display(dinosaurs)
Dim dc As New DinoComparer
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Sort with alternate comparer:")
dinosaurs.Sort(dc)
Display(dinosaurs)
SearchAndInsert(dinosaurs, "Coelophysis", dc)
Display(dinosaurs)
SearchAndInsert(dinosaurs, "Oviraptor", dc)
Display(dinosaurs)
SearchAndInsert(dinosaurs, "Tyrannosaur", dc)
Display(dinosaurs)
SearchAndInsert(dinosaurs, Nothing, dc)
Display(dinosaurs)
End Sub
Private Shared Sub SearchAndInsert( _
ByVal lis As List(Of String), _
ByVal insert As String, ByVal dc As DinoComparer)
Console.WriteLine(vbLf & _
"BinarySearch and Insert ""{0}"":", insert)
Dim index As Integer = lis.BinarySearch(insert, dc)
If index < 0 Then
index = index Xor -1
lis.Insert(index, insert)
End If
End Sub
Private Shared Sub Display(ByVal lis As List(Of String))
Console.WriteLine()
For Each s As String In lis
Console.WriteLine(s)
Next
End Sub
End Class
' This code example produces the following output:
'
'Pachycephalosaurus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Deinonychus
'
'Sort with alternate comparer:
'
'Deinonychus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Pachycephalosaurus
'
'BinarySearch and Insert "Coelophysis":
'
'Coelophysis
'Deinonychus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Pachycephalosaurus
'
'BinarySearch and Insert "Oviraptor":
'
'Oviraptor
'Coelophysis
'Deinonychus
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Pachycephalosaurus
'
'BinarySearch and Insert "Tyrannosaur":
'
'Oviraptor
'Coelophysis
'Deinonychus
'Tyrannosaur
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Pachycephalosaurus
'
'BinarySearch and Insert "":
'
'
'Oviraptor
'Coelophysis
'Deinonychus
'Tyrannosaur
'Amargasaurus
'Mamenchisaurus
'Pachycephalosaurus