Check if SortedSet and a specified collection share common elements in C#

To check if a SortedSet and a specified collection share common elements in C#, you can use the Overlaps() method. This method returns true if the SortedSet shares at least one element with the specified collection, otherwise it returns false.

Syntax

Following is the syntax for using the Overlaps() method −

public bool Overlaps(IEnumerable<T> other)

Parameters

• other − The collection to compare with the current SortedSet. It can be any collection that implements IEnumerable<T>.

Return Value

The method returns true if the SortedSet shares at least one element with the specified collection; otherwise, it returns false.

Example - Sets with Common Elements

The following example demonstrates checking for overlaps between two SortedSet collections that share common elements −

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      SortedSet<int> set1 = new SortedSet<int>();
      set1.Add(100);
      set1.Add(200);
      set1.Add(300);
      set1.Add(400);
      set1.Add(500);
      set1.Add(600);
      
      SortedSet<int> set2 = new SortedSet<int>();
      set2.Add(100);
      set2.Add(200);
      set2.Add(300);
      set2.Add(400);
      set2.Add(500);
      set2.Add(600);
      
      Console.WriteLine("Does it share common elements? = " + set1.Overlaps(set2));
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

Does it share common elements? = True

Example - Sets with No Common Elements

The following example shows checking for overlaps between two SortedSet collections that have no common elements −

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      SortedSet<int> set1 = new SortedSet<int>();
      set1.Add(100);
      set1.Add(200);
      set1.Add(300);
      
      SortedSet<int> set2 = new SortedSet<int>();
      set2.Add(450);
      set2.Add(550);
      set2.Add(650);
      set2.Add(750);
      set2.Add(800);
      
      Console.WriteLine("Does it share common elements? = " + set1.Overlaps(set2));
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

Does it share common elements? = False

Using Overlaps with Different Collection Types

The Overlaps() method works with any collection that implements IEnumerable<T>, not just other SortedSet instances −

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      SortedSet<string> fruits = new SortedSet<string>();
      fruits.Add("Apple");
      fruits.Add("Banana");
      fruits.Add("Orange");
      
      List<string> checkList = new List<string>{"Banana", "Mango", "Grapes"};
      
      Console.WriteLine("SortedSet overlaps with List: " + fruits.Overlaps(checkList));
      
      string[] checkArray = {"Cherry", "Pineapple", "Kiwi"};
      Console.WriteLine("SortedSet overlaps with Array: " + fruits.Overlaps(checkArray));
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

SortedSet overlaps with List: True
SortedSet overlaps with Array: False

Conclusion

The Overlaps() method in C# provides an efficient way to check if a SortedSet shares any common elements with another collection. This method returns true if at least one element is found in both collections, making it useful for set operations and data validation scenarios.