Decimal.CompareTo Method

Definition

Namespace:

System

Assemblies:

netstandard.dll, System.Runtime.dll

Compares this instance to a specified object or Decimal and returns an indication of their relative values.

Overloads

CompareTo(Decimal)	Compares this instance to a specified Decimal object and returns a comparison of their relative values.
CompareTo(Object)	Compares this instance to a specified object and returns a comparison of their relative values.

CompareTo(Decimal)

Source:

Decimal.cs

Compares this instance to a specified Decimal object and returns a comparison of their relative values.

C#

public int CompareTo(decimal value);

Parameters

value

Decimal

The object to compare with this instance.

Returns

Int32

A signed number indicating the relative values of this instance and value.

Return value	Meaning
Less than zero	This instance is less than value.
Zero	This instance is equal to value.
Greater than zero	This instance is greater than value.

Implements

CompareTo(T)

Examples

The following code example demonstrates generic and nongeneric versions of the CompareTo method for several value and reference types.

C#

// This example demonstrates the generic and non-generic versions of the
// CompareTo method for several base types.
// The non-generic version takes a parameter of type Object, while the generic
// version takes a type-specific parameter, such as Boolean, Int32, or Double.

using System;

class Sample
{
    public static void Main()
    {
    string    nl = Environment.NewLine;
    string    msg = "{0}The following is the result of using the generic and non-generic{0}" +
                    "versions of the CompareTo method for several base types:{0}";

    DateTime  now = DateTime.Now;
// Time span = 11 days, 22 hours, 33 minutes, 44 seconds
    TimeSpan  tsX = new TimeSpan(11, 22, 33, 44);
// Version = 1.2.333.4
    Version   versX = new Version("1.2.333.4");
// Guid = CA761232-ED42-11CE-BACD-00AA0057B223
    Guid      guidX = new Guid("{CA761232-ED42-11CE-BACD-00AA0057B223}");

    Boolean  a1 = true,  a2 = true;
    Byte     b1 = 1,     b2 = 1;
    Int16    c1 = -2,    c2 = 2;
    Int32    d1 = 3,     d2 = 3;
    Int64    e1 = 4,     e2 = -4;
    Decimal  f1 = -5.5m, f2 = 5.5m;
    Single   g1 = 6.6f,  g2 = 6.6f;
    Double   h1 = 7.7d,  h2 = -7.7d;
    Char     i1 = 'A',   i2 = 'A';
    String   j1 = "abc", j2 = "abc";
    DateTime k1 = now,   k2 = now;
    TimeSpan l1 = tsX,   l2 = tsX;
    Version  m1 = versX, m2 = new Version("2.0");
    Guid     n1 = guidX, n2 = guidX;

// The following types are not CLS-compliant.
    SByte    w1 = 8,     w2 = 8;
    UInt16   x1 = 9,     x2 = 9;
    UInt32   y1 = 10,    y2 = 10;
    UInt64   z1 = 11,    z2 = 11;
//
    Console.WriteLine(msg, nl);
    try
        {
// The second and third Show method call parameters are automatically boxed because
// the second and third Show method declaration arguments expect type Object.

        Show("Boolean:  ", a1, a2, a1.CompareTo(a2), a1.CompareTo((Object)a2));
        Show("Byte:     ", b1, b2, b1.CompareTo(b2), b1.CompareTo((Object)b2));
        Show("Int16:    ", c1, c2, c1.CompareTo(c2), c1.CompareTo((Object)c2));
        Show("Int32:    ", d1, d2, d1.CompareTo(d2), d1.CompareTo((Object)d2));
        Show("Int64:    ", e1, e2, e1.CompareTo(e2), e1.CompareTo((Object)e2));
        Show("Decimal:  ", f1, f2, f1.CompareTo(f2), f1.CompareTo((Object)f2));
        Show("Single:   ", g1, g2, g1.CompareTo(g2), g1.CompareTo((Object)g2));
        Show("Double:   ", h1, h2, h1.CompareTo(h2), h1.CompareTo((Object)h2));
        Show("Char:     ", i1, i2, i1.CompareTo(i2), i1.CompareTo((Object)i2));
        Show("String:   ", j1, j2, j1.CompareTo(j2), j1.CompareTo((Object)j2));
        Show("DateTime: ", k1, k2, k1.CompareTo(k2), k1.CompareTo((Object)k2));
        Show("TimeSpan: ", l1, l2, l1.CompareTo(l2), l1.CompareTo((Object)l2));
        Show("Version:  ", m1, m2, m1.CompareTo(m2), m1.CompareTo((Object)m2));
        Show("Guid:     ", n1, n2, n1.CompareTo(n2), n1.CompareTo((Object)n2));
//
        Console.WriteLine("{0}The following types are not CLS-compliant:", nl);
        Show("SByte:    ", w1, w2, w1.CompareTo(w2), w1.CompareTo((Object)w2));
        Show("UInt16:   ", x1, x2, x1.CompareTo(x2), x1.CompareTo((Object)x2));
        Show("UInt32:   ", y1, y2, y1.CompareTo(y2), y1.CompareTo((Object)y2));
        Show("UInt64:   ", z1, z2, z1.CompareTo(z2), z1.CompareTo((Object)z2));
        }
    catch (Exception e)
        {
        Console.WriteLine(e);
        }
    }

    public static void Show(string caption, Object var1, Object var2,
                            int resultGeneric, int resultNonGeneric)
    {
    string relation;

    Console.Write(caption);
    if (resultGeneric == resultNonGeneric)
        {
        if      (resultGeneric < 0) relation = "less than";
        else if (resultGeneric > 0) relation = "greater than";
        else                        relation = "equal to";
        Console.WriteLine("{0} is {1} {2}", var1, relation, var2);
        }

// The following condition will never occur because the generic and non-generic
// CompareTo methods are equivalent.

    else
        {
        Console.WriteLine("Generic CompareTo = {0}; non-generic CompareTo = {1}",
                           resultGeneric, resultNonGeneric);
        }
   }
}
/*
This example produces the following results:

The following is the result of using the generic and non-generic versions of the
CompareTo method for several base types:

Boolean:  True is equal to True
Byte:     1 is equal to 1
Int16:    -2 is less than 2
Int32:    3 is equal to 3
Int64:    4 is greater than -4
Decimal:  -5.5 is less than 5.5
Single:   6.6 is equal to 6.6
Double:   7.7 is greater than -7.7
Char:     A is equal to A
String:   abc is equal to abc
DateTime: 12/1/2003 5:37:46 PM is equal to 12/1/2003 5:37:46 PM
TimeSpan: 11.22:33:44 is equal to 11.22:33:44
Version:  1.2.333.4 is less than 2.0
Guid:     ca761232-ed42-11ce-bacd-00aa0057b223 is equal to ca761232-ed42-11ce-bacd-00
aa0057b223

The following types are not CLS-compliant:
SByte:    8 is equal to 8
UInt16:   9 is equal to 9
UInt32:   10 is equal to 10
UInt64:   11 is equal to 11
*/

Remarks

This method implements the System.IComparable<T> interface and performs slightly better than the Decimal.CompareTo method because it does not have to convert the value parameter to an object.

Depending on your programming language, it might be possible to code a CompareTo method where the parameter type has fewer bits (is narrower) than the instance type. This is possible because some programming languages perform an implicit widening conversion that represents the parameter as a type with as many bits as the instance.

For example, suppose the instance type is Int32 and the parameter type is Byte. The Microsoft C# compiler generates instructions to represent the parameter as an Int32 object, then generates a Int32.CompareTo method to compare the values of the Int32 instance and the Int32 parameter representation.

Consult your programming language's documentation to determine whether its compiler performs implicit widening conversions on numeric types.

See also

• Compare(Decimal, Decimal)
• Equals(Object)

CompareTo(Object)

Source:

Decimal.cs

Compares this instance to a specified object and returns a comparison of their relative values.

C#

public int CompareTo(object? value);

Parameters

value

Object

The object to compare with this instance, or null.

Returns

Int32

A signed number indicating the relative values of this instance and value.

Return value	Meaning
Less than zero	This instance is less than value.
Zero	This instance is equal to value.
Greater than zero	This instance is greater than value, or value is null.

Implements

CompareTo(Object)

Exceptions

ArgumentException

value is not a Decimal.

Examples

The following code example compares several Decimal and other objects to a reference Decimal value using the CompareTo method.

C#

// Example of the decimal.CompareTo and decimal.Equals instance
// methods.
using System;

class DecCompToEqualsObjDemo
{
    // Get the exception type name; remove the namespace prefix.
    public static string GetExceptionType( Exception ex )
    {
        string exceptionType = ex.GetType( ).ToString( );
        return exceptionType.Substring(
            exceptionType.LastIndexOf( '.' ) + 1 );
    }

    // Compare the decimal to the object parameters,
    // and display the object parameters with the results.
    public static void CompDecimalToObject( decimal Left,
        object Right, string RightText )
    {

        Console.WriteLine( "{0,-46}{1}", "object: "+RightText,
            Right );
        Console.WriteLine( "{0,-46}{1}", "Left.Equals( object )",
            Left.Equals( Right ) );
        Console.Write( "{0,-46}", "Left.CompareTo( object )" );

        try
        {
            // Catch the exception if CompareTo( ) throws one.
            Console.WriteLine( "{0}\n", Left.CompareTo( Right ) );
        }
        catch( Exception ex )
        {
            Console.WriteLine( "{0}\n", GetExceptionType( ex ) );
        }
    }

    public static void Main( )
    {
        Console.WriteLine(
            "This example of the decimal.Equals( object ) and \n" +
            "decimal.CompareTo( object ) methods generates the \n" +
            "following output. It creates several different " +
            "decimal \nvalues and compares them with the following " +
            "reference value.\n" );

        // Create a reference decimal value.
        decimal Left = new decimal( 987.654 );

        Console.WriteLine( "{0,-46}{1}\n",
            "Left: decimal( 987.654 )", Left );

        // Create objects to compare with the reference.
        CompDecimalToObject( Left, new decimal( 9.8765400E+2 ),
            "decimal( 9.8765400E+2 )" );
        CompDecimalToObject( Left, 987.6541M, "987.6541D" );
        CompDecimalToObject( Left, 987.6539M, "987.6539D" );
        CompDecimalToObject( Left,
            new decimal( 987654000, 0, 0, false, 6 ),
            "decimal( 987654000, 0, 0, false, 6 )" );
        CompDecimalToObject( Left, 9.8765400E+2,
            "Double 9.8765400E+2" );
        CompDecimalToObject( Left, "987.654", "String \"987.654\"" );
    }
}

/*
This example of the decimal.Equals( object ) and
decimal.CompareTo( object ) methods generates the
following output. It creates several different decimal
values and compares them with the following reference value.

Left: decimal( 987.654 )                      987.654

object: decimal( 9.8765400E+2 )               987.654
Left.Equals( object )                         True
Left.CompareTo( object )                      0

object: 987.6541D                             987.6541
Left.Equals( object )                         False
Left.CompareTo( object )                      -1

object: 987.6539D                             987.6539
Left.Equals( object )                         False
Left.CompareTo( object )                      1

object: decimal( 987654000, 0, 0, false, 6 )  987.654000
Left.Equals( object )                         True
Left.CompareTo( object )                      0

object: Double 9.8765400E+2                   987.654
Left.Equals( object )                         False
Left.CompareTo( object )                      ArgumentException

object: String "987.654"                      987.654
Left.Equals( object )                         False
Left.CompareTo( object )                      ArgumentException
*/

Remarks

Any instance of Decimal, regardless of its value, is considered greater than null.

Parameter value must be null or an instance of Decimal; otherwise, an exception is thrown.

See also

• Compare(Decimal, Decimal)
• Equals(Object)