IStructuralComparable.CompareTo Method
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Determines whether the current collection object precedes, occurs in the same position as, or follows another object in the sort order.
Namespace: System.Collections
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Syntax
'Declaration
Function CompareTo ( _
other As Object, _
comparer As IComparer _
) As Integer
int CompareTo(
Object other,
IComparer comparer
)
Parameters
- other
Type: System.Object
The object to compare with the current instance.
- comparer
Type: System.Collections.IComparer
An object that compares members of the current collection object with the corresponding members of other.
Return Value
Type: System.Int32
An integer that indicates the relationship of the current collection object to other, as shown in the following table.
Return value |
Description |
|---|---|
-1 |
The current instance precedes other. |
0 |
The current instance and other are equal. |
1 |
The current instance follows other. |
Remarks
The CompareTo method supports custom structural comparison and sorting of array and tuple objects. The CompareTo method calls the comparer object's IComparer.Compare method to compare individual array elements or tuple components, starting with the first element or component. The individual calls to IComparer.Compare end and the CompareTo method returns a value when one of the following conditions becomes true:
The IComparer.Compare method returns -1.
The IComparer.Compare method returns 1.
The IComparer.Compare method is called for the last element or component in the collection object.
Examples
The following example creates an array of Tuple<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6> objects that contains population data for three U.S. cities from 1960 to 2000. The sextuple's first component is the city name. The remaining five components represent the population at ten-year intervals from 1960 to 2000.
The PopulationComparer class provides an IComparer implementation that allows the array of sextuples to be sorted by any one of its components. Two values are provided to the PopulationComparer class in its constructor: the position of the component that defines the sort order, and a Boolean value that indicates whether the tuple objects should be sorted in ascending or descending order.
The example then displays the elements in the array in unsorted order, sorts them by the third component (the population in 1970) and displays them, and then sorts them by the sixth component (the population in 2000) and displays them. Note that the example does not directly call the CompareTo method. The method is called implicitly by the Sort(Array, IComparer) method for each tuple object in the array.
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Public Class PopulationComparer(Of T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6) : Implements IComparer
Private itemPosition As Integer
Private multiplier As Integer = -1
Public Sub New(ByVal component As Integer)
Me.New(component, True)
End Sub
Public Sub New(ByVal component As Integer, ByVal descending As Boolean)
If Not descending Then multiplier = 1
If component <= 0 Or component > 6 Then
Throw New ArgumentException("The component argument is out of range.")
End If
itemPosition = component
End Sub
Public Function Compare(ByVal x As Object, ByVal y As Object) As Integer _
Implements IComparer.Compare
Dim tX = TryCast(x, Tuple(Of T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6))
If tX Is Nothing Then
Return 0
Else
Dim tY = DirectCast(y, Tuple(Of T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6))
Select Case itemPosition
Case 1
Return Comparer(Of T1).Default.Compare(tX.Item1, tY.Item1) * multiplier
Case 2
Return Comparer(Of T2).Default.Compare(tX.Item2, tY.Item2) * multiplier
Case 3
Return Comparer(Of T3).Default.Compare(tX.Item3, tY.Item3) * multiplier
Case 4
Return Comparer(Of T4).Default.Compare(tX.Item4, tY.Item4) * multiplier
Case 5
Return Comparer(Of T5).Default.Compare(tX.Item5, tY.Item5) * multiplier
Case 6
Return Comparer(Of T6).Default.Compare(tX.Item6, tY.Item6) * multiplier
' This should never happen.
Case Else
Return 0
End Select
End If
End Function
End Class
Module Example
Public Sub Demo(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock)
' Create array of sextuple with population data for three U.S.
' cities, 1960-2000.
Dim cities() = _
{ Tuple.Create("Los Angeles", 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820), _
Tuple.Create("New York", 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278), _
Tuple.Create("Chicago", 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016) }
' Display array in unsorted order.
outputBlock.Text &= "In unsorted order:" & vbCrLf
For Each city In cities
outputBlock.Text &= city.ToString() & vbCrLf
Next
outputBlock.Text &= vbCrLf
Array.Sort(cities, New PopulationComparer(Of String, Integer, Integer, Integer, Integer, Integer)(3))
' Display array in sorted order.
outputBlock.Text &= "Sorted by population in 1970:" & vbCrLf
For Each city In cities
outputBlock.Text &= city.ToString() & vbCrLf
Next
outputBlock.Text &= vbCrLf
Array.Sort(cities, New PopulationComparer(Of String, Integer, Integer, Integer, Integer, Integer)(6))
' Display array in sorted order.
outputBlock.Text &= "Sorted by population in 2000:" & vbCrLf
For Each city In cities
outputBlock.Text &= city.ToString() & vbCrLf
Next
End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
' In unsorted order:
' (Los Angeles, 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820)
' (New York, 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278)
' (Chicago, 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016)
'
' Sorted by population in 1970:
' (New York, 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278)
' (Chicago, 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016)
' (Los Angeles, 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820)
'
' Sorted by population in 2000:
' (New York, 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278)
' (Los Angeles, 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820)
' (Chicago, 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016)
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
public class PopulationComparer<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6> : IComparer
{
private int itemPosition;
private int multiplier = -1;
public PopulationComparer(int component)
: this(component, true)
{ }
public PopulationComparer(int component, bool descending)
{
if (!descending) multiplier = 1;
if (component <= 0 || component > 6)
throw new ArgumentException("The component argument is out of range.");
itemPosition = component;
}
public int Compare(object x, object y)
{
var tX = x as Tuple<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6>;
if (tX == null)
{
return 0;
}
else
{
var tY = y as Tuple<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6>;
switch (itemPosition)
{
case 1:
return Comparer<T1>.Default.Compare(tX.Item1, tY.Item1) * multiplier;
case 2:
return Comparer<T2>.Default.Compare(tX.Item2, tY.Item2) * multiplier;
case 3:
return Comparer<T3>.Default.Compare(tX.Item3, tY.Item3) * multiplier;
case 4:
return Comparer<T4>.Default.Compare(tX.Item4, tY.Item4) * multiplier;
case 5:
return Comparer<T5>.Default.Compare(tX.Item5, tY.Item5) * multiplier;
case 6:
return Comparer<T6>.Default.Compare(tX.Item6, tY.Item6) * multiplier;
default:
return Comparer<T1>.Default.Compare(tX.Item1, tY.Item1) * multiplier;
}
}
}
}
public class Example
{
public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
{
// Create array of sextuple with population data for three U.S.
// cities, 1960-2000.
Tuple<string, int, int, int, int, int>[] cities =
{ Tuple.Create("Los Angeles", 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820),
Tuple.Create("New York", 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278),
Tuple.Create("Chicago", 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016) };
// Display array in unsorted order.
outputBlock.Text += "In unsorted order:" + "\n";
foreach (var city in cities)
outputBlock.Text += city.ToString() + "\n";
outputBlock.Text += "\n";
Array.Sort(cities, new PopulationComparer<string, int, int, int, int, int>(3));
// Display array in sorted order.
outputBlock.Text += "Sorted by population in 1970:" + "\n";
foreach (var city in cities)
outputBlock.Text += city.ToString() + "\n";
outputBlock.Text += "\n";
Array.Sort(cities, new PopulationComparer<string, int, int, int, int, int>(6));
// Display array in sorted order.
outputBlock.Text += "Sorted by population in 2000:" + "\n";
foreach (var city in cities)
outputBlock.Text += city.ToString() + "\n";
}
}
// The example displays the following output:
// In unsorted order:
// (Los Angeles, 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820)
// (New York, 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278)
// (Chicago, 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016)
//
// Sorted by population in 1970:
// (New York, 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278)
// (Chicago, 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016)
// (Los Angeles, 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820)
//
// Sorted by population in 2000:
// (New York, 7781984, 7894862, 7071639, 7322564, 8008278)
// (Los Angeles, 2479015, 2816061, 2966850, 3485398, 3694820)
// (Chicago, 3550904, 3366957, 3005072, 2783726, 2896016)
Version Information
Silverlight
Supported in: 5, 4
Platforms
For a list of the operating systems and browsers that are supported by Silverlight, see Supported Operating Systems and Browsers.