Question

I am using this var ordered = dictionary.Keys.OrderBy(x => x); to order a dictionary.

This works great ordering the dictionary alpha-numerically and I would like to keep it this way and add a few exceptions…

So right now, the ordered dictionary looks like this for the output:

1: "0603C" "113456" 1
2: "0603C" "984132" 8
3: "0603R" "11115" 3
4: "0603R" "13554" 1
5: "1608C_1.0" "119764" 2
6: "1608C_1.0" "147429" 54
7: "1608R_1.0" "122951" 4
8: "1608R_1.0" "147446" 1
9: "1608R_1.0" "147448" 23
10: "3216" "110762" 2
11: "TANT23" "119764" 2
//more here...

..but I would like it to look like this:

1: "0603R" "11115" 3
2: "0603R" "13554" 1
3: "0603C" "113456" 1
4: "0603C" "984132" 8
5: "1608R_1.0" "122951" 4    //**NOTICE**: The "R" and "C" endings after 1608 and 0603
6: "1608R_1.0" "147446" 1    // were switched. I would like to switch all "C" and "R"
7: "1608R_1.0" "147448" 23   // endings if they are the same value before.
8: "1608C_1.0" "119764" 2
9: "1608C_1.0" "147429" 54
10: "3216" "110762" 2
11: "TANT23" "119764" 2
//more here...

This is what my code looks like so far:

StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(saveFile.FileName);
Dictionary<string, int> dictionary = new Dictionary<string, int>();
List<string> lineList = new List<string>();
int j = 1;
lineList = theFuji1List.Select(line =>
{
    int nameLength = line.Name.Length;

    if (line.PartDescription != "")
        return line.PartDescription + " " line.PartNumber + " " + line.TWidth + " " + line.Name.Remove(1, nameLength - 1) + "\n";

    else
        return "N/A " + line.PartNumber + " " + line.TWidth + " " + line.Name.Remove(1, nameLength - 1) + "\n";
})
    .Where(x => !(x.Contains("FID") || x.Contains("EXCLUDE")))
    .ToLisT();

foreach (string word in lineList)
{
    if (dictionary.ContainsKey(word))
        dictionary[word]++;
    else
        dictionary[word] = 1;
}

var ordered = dictionary.Keys.Orderby(x => x);   //This is what I think I need to change?

foreach (string key in ordered)
{
    string[] splitKey = key.Split(' ');

    sw.WriteLine(string.Format("{0}: \"{1}\" \"{2}\" {3}", j, splitKey[0], splitKey[1], dictionary[key]));
    j++;
}

Answer 1

Just modify the “R” to be a “B” for the sort expression, so that it falls before “C”:

var ordered = dictionary.Keys.Orderby(x => Regex.Replace(x, @"^(\d+)R", "$1B"));

This won’t modify your keys – it will only affect the sort.