C# Academy · Lesson

IComparer for Custom Sorting

Provide alternate orderings with comparers.

IComparer for Custom Sorting is a free C# Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 4 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the C# Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Sorting Different Ways

A type has only one natural order via IComparable<T>. To sort the same data in other ways, supply an IComparer<T> or a Comparison<T> delegate at the call site.

Implementing IComparer<T>

An IComparer<T> is a separate object with a Compare(x, y) method. It follows the same negative/zero/positive contract as CompareTo.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Person
{
    public string Name;
    public int Age;
    public Person(string name, int age) { Name = name; Age = age; }
    public override string ToString() => Name + "(" + Age + ")";
}

public class ByName : IComparer<Person>
{
    public int Compare(Person x, Person y)
        => string.Compare(x.Name, y.Name, StringComparison.Ordinal);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var people = new List<Person> { new Person("Zoe", 1), new Person("Ann", 2) };
        people.Sort(new ByName());
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", people));
    }
}

Multiple Comparers for One Type

You can define several comparers and pick one per sort. Here the same people can be sorted by name or by age on demand.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Person
{
    public string Name;
    public int Age;
    public Person(string name, int age) { Name = name; Age = age; }
    public override string ToString() => Name + "(" + Age + ")";
}

public class ByAge : IComparer<Person>
{
    public int Compare(Person x, Person y) => x.Age.CompareTo(y.Age);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var people = new List<Person> { new Person("Ann", 40), new Person("Bo", 20) };
        people.Sort(new ByAge());
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", people));
    }
}

Comparison<T> Delegate

For one-off sorts, a Comparison<T> delegate (often a lambda) is more concise than a whole class. List.Sort accepts it directly.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var words = new List<string> { "banana", "fig", "apple" };
        // Sort by length using a Comparison<string> lambda
        words.Sort((a, b) => a.Length.CompareTo(b.Length));
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", words));
    }
}

Descending With a Comparer

Reverse an order by swapping the operands inside Compare. This gives a descending sort without modifying the type itself.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class DescendingInt : IComparer<int>
{
    public int Compare(int x, int y) => y.CompareTo(x);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var nums = new List<int> { 3, 1, 4, 1, 5 };
        nums.Sort(new DescendingInt());
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", nums));
    }
}

Comparers in OrderBy

LINQ OrderBy accepts an IComparer<TKey> as a second argument, letting you customize how the selected keys are compared.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;

public class CaseInsensitive : IComparer<string>
{
    public int Compare(string x, string y)
        => string.Compare(x, y, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var names = new[] { "bob", "Alice", "carol" };
        foreach (var n in names.OrderBy(x => x, new CaseInsensitive()))
            Console.WriteLine(n);
    }
}

Multi-Key Comparison

A comparer can sort by several keys in priority order. Compute the first key; if it ties, fall through to the next.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Employee
{
    public string Dept;
    public int Salary;
    public Employee(string dept, int salary) { Dept = dept; Salary = salary; }
    public override string ToString() => Dept + ":" + Salary;
}

public class ByDeptThenSalary : IComparer<Employee>
{
    public int Compare(Employee x, Employee y)
    {
        int byDept = string.Compare(x.Dept, y.Dept, StringComparison.Ordinal);
        return byDept != 0 ? byDept : x.Salary.CompareTo(y.Salary);
    }
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var staff = new List<Employee>
        {
            new Employee("IT", 50), new Employee("HR", 40), new Employee("IT", 30)
        };
        staff.Sort(new ByDeptThenSalary());
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", staff));
    }
}

Comparer.Create Shortcut

Comparer<T>.Create builds an IComparer<T> from a lambda, combining the conciseness of a delegate with the interface APIs that require a comparer.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var byLengthDesc = Comparer<string>.Create((a, b) => b.Length.CompareTo(a.Length));
        var words = new List<string> { "hi", "hello", "hey" };
        words.Sort(byLengthDesc);
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", words));
    }
}

Reusing Comparers Across Collections

A single comparer instance can drive sorting, searching, and ordered sets. Defining it once keeps ordering rules consistent everywhere they are used.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        IComparer<int> desc = Comparer<int>.Create((a, b) => b.CompareTo(a));
        var set = new SortedSet<int>(desc) { 1, 5, 3 };
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", set));
    }
}

Choosing IComparable vs IComparer

Use IComparable<T> for the one natural order baked into the type. Use IComparer<T> or Comparison<T> for the many alternate, context-specific orders you decide at the call site.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var nums = new List<int> { 5, 2, 8, 1 };
        nums.Sort(); // natural ascending (int is IComparable)
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", nums));
        nums.Sort((a, b) => b - a); // custom descending via delegate
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", nums));
    }
}

Try It Yourself

Sort one list three different ways using comparers and a lambda, all without touching the element type.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var words = new List<string> { "pear", "fig", "apple", "kiwi" };

        words.Sort(); // natural alphabetical
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", words));

        words.Sort((a, b) => a.Length.CompareTo(b.Length)); // by length
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", words));

        words.Sort(Comparer<string>.Create((a, b) => b.CompareTo(a))); // reverse alphabetical
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", words));
    }
}

Quick Check

Pick the right ordering abstraction.

Recap

Custom sorting uses comparers supplied at the call site.

IComparer<T> implements Compare(x, y) with the negative/zero/positive contract.
Comparison<T> delegates and lambdas suit one-off sorts.
Comparer<T>.Create bridges lambdas to the interface.
Use IComparable for the natural order, comparers for alternates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “IComparer for Custom Sorting” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “IComparer for Custom Sorting” is free to read here on the web, and the C# Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the C# Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “IComparer for Custom Sorting”?

Provide alternate orderings with comparers. You practise C# Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start C# Academy?

No prior experience is required. C# Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 4 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “IComparer for Custom Sorting” lesson take?

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