UInt16.CompareTo() Method in C# with Examples

The UInt16.CompareTo() method in C# is used to compare the current instance to a specified object or UInt16 and returns an indication of their relative values. This method is essential for sorting operations and conditional comparisons involving unsigned 16-bit integers.

Syntax

The UInt16.CompareTo() method has two overloads −

public int CompareTo(object val);
public int CompareTo(ushort val);

Parameters

• val − In the first overload, it is an object to compare. In the second overload, it is an unsigned 16-bit integer to compare.

Return Value

The method returns an integer that indicates the relative position of the current instance and the value parameter −

• 0 − The current instance is equal to the value

• Less than 0 − The current instance is less than the value

• Greater than 0 − The current instance is greater than the value

Using CompareTo() with UInt16 Values

Example

using System;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      ushort val1 = 25;
      ushort val2 = 55;
      int res = val1.CompareTo(val2);
      Console.WriteLine("Return value (comparison) = " + res);
      if (res > 0)
         Console.WriteLine("val1 > val2");
      else if (res < 0)
         Console.WriteLine("val1 < val2");
      else
         Console.WriteLine("val1 = val2");
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

Return value (comparison) = -1
val1 < val2

Using CompareTo() with Object Parameter

Example

using System;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      ushort val1 = 25;
      object val2 = (ushort)2;
      int res = val1.CompareTo(val2);
      Console.WriteLine("Return value (comparison) = " + res);
      if (res > 0)
         Console.WriteLine("val1 > val2");
      else if (res < 0)
         Console.WriteLine("val1 < val2");
      else
         Console.WriteLine("val1 = val2");
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

Return value (comparison) = 1
val1 > val2

Using CompareTo() for Sorting

Example

using System;

public class Demo {
   public static void Main() {
      ushort[] numbers = { 100, 50, 25, 75, 10 };
      
      Console.WriteLine("Original array:");
      foreach (ushort num in numbers) {
         Console.Write(num + " ");
      }
      
      Array.Sort(numbers);
      
      Console.WriteLine("\nSorted array:");
      foreach (ushort num in numbers) {
         Console.Write(num + " ");
      }
   }
}

The output of the above code is −

Original array:
100 50 25 75 10 
Sorted array:
10 25 50 75 100

Conclusion

The UInt16.CompareTo() method provides a standardized way to compare unsigned 16-bit integer values, returning negative, zero, or positive values based on the comparison result. This method is particularly useful for sorting operations and implementing custom comparison logic in applications.