Article
11/18/2011

Enumerable.OrderBy<TSource, TKey> Method (IEnumerable<TSource>, Func<TSource, TKey>, IComparer<TKey>)

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Sorts the elements of a sequence in ascending order by using a specified comparer.

Namespace: System.Linq
Assembly: System.Core (in System.Core.dll)

Syntax

'Declaration
<ExtensionAttribute> _
Public Shared Function OrderBy(Of TSource, TKey) ( _
    source As IEnumerable(Of TSource), _
    keySelector As Func(Of TSource, TKey), _
    comparer As IComparer(Of TKey) _
) As IOrderedEnumerable(Of TSource)

public static IOrderedEnumerable<TSource> OrderBy<TSource, TKey>(
    this IEnumerable<TSource> source,
    Func<TSource, TKey> keySelector,
    IComparer<TKey> comparer
)

Type Parameters

TSource
The type of the elements of source.

TKey
The type of the key returned by keySelector.

Parameters

source
Type: System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<TSource>
A sequence of values to order.

keySelector
Type: System.Func<TSource, TKey>
A function to extract a key from an element.

comparer
Type: System.Collections.Generic.IComparer<TKey>
An IComparer<T> to compare keys.

Return Value

Type: System.Linq.IOrderedEnumerable<TSource>
An IOrderedEnumerable<TElement> whose elements are sorted according to a key.

Usage Note

In Visual Basic and C#, you can call this method as an instance method on any object of type IEnumerable<TSource>. When you use instance method syntax to call this method, omit the first parameter.

Exceptions

Exception	Condition
ArgumentNullException	source or keySelector is nulla null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic).

Remarks

This method is implemented by using deferred execution. The immediate return value is an object that stores all the information that is required to perform the action. The query represented by this method is not executed until the object is enumerated either by calling its GetEnumerator method directly or by using foreach in Visual C# or For Each in Visual Basic.

To order a sequence by the values of the elements themselves, specify the identity function (x => x in Visual C# or Function(x) x in Visual Basic) for keySelector.

Two methods are defined to extend the type IOrderedEnumerable<TElement>, which is the return type of this method. These two methods, namely ThenBy and ThenByDescending, enable you to specify additional sort criteria to sort a sequence. ThenBy and ThenByDescending also return an IOrderedEnumerable<TElement>, which means any number of consecutive calls to ThenBy or ThenByDescending can be made.

Note:
Because IOrderedEnumerable<TElement> inherits from IEnumerable<T>, you can call OrderBy or OrderByDescending on the results of a call to OrderBy, OrderByDescending, ThenBy or ThenByDescending. Doing this introduces a new primary ordering that ignores the previously established ordering.

If comparer is nulla null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic), the default comparer Default is used to compare keys.

This method performs a stable sort; that is, if the keys of two elements are equal, the order of the elements is preserved. In contrast, an unstable sort does not preserve the order of elements that have the same key.

Version Information

Silverlight

Supported in: 5, 4, 3

Silverlight for Windows Phone

Supported in: Windows Phone OS 7.1, Windows Phone OS 7.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: Xbox 360, Windows Phone OS 7.0

Platforms

For a list of the operating systems and browsers that are supported by Silverlight, see Supported Operating Systems and Browsers.

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