SortedSet Collection Class in C#

Title: Mastering C# SortedSet Collection Class: A Comprehensive Guide

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Are you looking to harness the power of C#’s SortedSet collection class for efficient data management and retrieval? Look no further! In this guide, we’ll delve into the intricacies of SortedSet, exploring its features, benefits, and practical examples to help you leverage its full potential.

Understanding SortedSet in C

SortedSet is a versatile collection class in C# that maintains elements in sorted order without duplicates. It combines the capabilities of a set (unique elements) with the properties of a sorted collection (ordered elements). This makes SortedSet ideal for scenarios where you need fast access to sorted data with automatic duplicate handling.

Key Features of SortedSet

1. Automatic Sorting: Elements are automatically sorted based on their natural order or a custom comparator provided during initialization.
2. No Duplicates: Ensures that only unique elements are stored in the collection.
3. Efficient Operations: Provides efficient insertion, deletion, and retrieval operations with logarithmic time complexity.

Practical Examples

Let’s dive into some practical examples to illustrate how you can use SortedSet in your C# applications.

Example 1: Sorting Integers

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        SortedSet<int> numbers = new SortedSet<int>();

        numbers.Add(5);
        numbers.Add(2);
        numbers.Add(8);
        numbers.Add(1);

        foreach (var number in numbers)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(number);
        }
    }
}

In this example, a SortedSet numbers is created to store integers. Elements are added in random order, but when iterated through the set, they are printed in sorted order (1, 2, 5, 8).

Example 2: Custom Sorting with Comparer

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        SortedSet<string> words = new SortedSet<string>(new CustomLengthComparer());

        words.Add("apple");
        words.Add("banana");
        words.Add("orange");

        foreach (var word in words)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(word);
        }
    }
}

class CustomLengthComparer : IComparer<string>
{
    public int Compare(string x, string y)
    {
        return x.Length.CompareTo(y.Length);
    }
}

In this example, a custom comparer CustomLengthComparer is used to sort strings in words based on their lengths.

Benefits of Using SortedSet

• Efficiency: Ideal for scenarios requiring frequent sorted operations.
• Simplicity: Provides a clean API for managing sorted unique data.
• Flexibility: Supports custom sorting and duplicate handling strategies.

Conclusion

Mastering C#’s SortedSet collection class empowers you to manage data efficiently with built-in sorting and unique element handling. Whether you’re sorting integers, strings, or custom objects, SortedSet provides the tools you need for streamlined data management.

Start integrating SortedSet into your C# projects today to experience enhanced performance and simplified data handling. Stay ahead in your development journey with this powerful collection class!

For more information and advanced usage scenarios, visit the official Microsoft documentation on SortedSet.