How to sort the list with duplicate keys?

I have a set of elements/keys which I'm reading from two different config files. So the keys may be same but with different values associated with each of them.

I want to list them in the sorted order. What can I do ? I tried with SortedList class but it does not allow duplicate keys.

How can I do it?

e.g Lets say I have 3 elements with keys 1,2,3. Then i get one more element having key 2 (but different value). Then I want the new key to get inserted after existing key 2 but before 3. If I againg find an element with key 2, then it should go after most recently added key 2.

Please note than I'm using .NET 2.0

c# data-structures .net-2.0 generic-list

Edit Report

1 Answer

.NET doesn't have huge support for stable sorts (meaning that equivalent elements maintain their relative order when sorted). However, you can write your own stable-sorted-insert using List.BinarySearch and a custom IComparer<T> (that returns -1 if the key is less than or equal to the target, and +1 if greater).

Note that List.Sort is not a stable sort, so you'd either have to write your own stable quicksort routine or just use insertion sort to initially populate the collection.

answered 2010-08-05T12:32:22.653

How to sort the list with duplicate keys?

1 Answer

Your Answer