Difference between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#

Q: Q: What is the difference between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

A SortedList is a collection that allows you to retrieve the key-value data using indexes very quickly. A SortedDictionary, on the other hand, allows you to retrieve data using either keys or indexes and offers faster insertion and removal of unsorted data than a SortedList. A SortedList can retrieve data faster than SortedDictionary but it consumes more memory than the SortedDictionary.

In this post, We will learn about the SortedList and SortedDictionary in C# using some code examples. Furthermore, we will compare these two collections in a tabular format which will help us to understand the fundamental difference between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#.
By the end of this post, you should have a good understanding of when to use SortedList and when to use SortedDictionary in your code.

difference-between-sortedlist-and-sorteddictionary-in-c-sharp — *Difference between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#*

Table of Contents

1 What is SortedList in C#?
- 1.1 Syntax:
- 1.2 Example: Creating a SortedList in C#
2 What is SortedDictionary in C#?
- 2.1 Syntax:
- 2.2 Example: Creating a SortedDictionary in C#
3 Key Differences between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#
4 When to use SortedList in C#?
5 When to use SortedDictionary in C#?
6 FAQ:

What is SortedList in C#?

In C#, SortedList<TKey,TValue> is a collection of key/value pairs that are sorted according to unique keys. By default, this collection sorts the key/value pairs in ascending order. It is available in both generic and non-generic types of collections.
The generic version of SortedList can be found in the System.Collections.Generic namespace while the non-generic SortedList is available in the System.Collections namespace.

Syntax:

SortedList<TKey, TValue> variableName = new SortedList<TKey,  TValue>();

Example: Creating a SortedList in C#

The following is an example of the generic SortedList in C#.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace SortedListExample
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a new SortedList
            SortedList<string, int> sortedList = new SortedList<string, int>();

            // Add key-value pairs to the SortedList
            sortedList.Add("Shekh", 29);
            sortedList.Add("Mary", 30);
            sortedList.Add("Jim", 35);

            // Access the values in the SortedList
            Console.WriteLine("Shekh's age: " + sortedList["Shekh"]);
            Console.WriteLine("Mary's age: " + sortedList["Mary"]);
            Console.WriteLine("Jim's age: " + sortedList["Jim"]);

            // Remove a key-value pair from the SortedList
            sortedList.Remove("Mary");

            // Check if a key is present in the SortedList
            if (sortedList.ContainsKey("Mary"))
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Mary's age: " + sortedList["Mary"]);
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Mary is not present in the SortedList");
            }

            // Iterate through the SortedList
            foreach (KeyValuePair<string, int> item in sortedList)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(item.Key + "'s age: " + item.Value);
            }

            // Clear the SortedList
            sortedList.Clear();

            // Check if the SortedList is empty
            if (sortedList.Count == 0)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The SortedList is empty");
            }
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}

Output:

SortedList Code Example result — *SortedList example in csharp*

What is SortedDictionary in C#?

In C#, SortedDictionary<TKey,TValue> class represents a collection of key/value pairs sorted by key and is available in the System.Collections.Generic namespace. Like SortedList, it stores key-value pairs, where each key must be unique and the data is sorted based on the keys.

Syntax:

SortedDictionary<TKey, TValue> variableName = new SortedDictionary<TKey,  TValue>();

Example: Creating a SortedDictionary in C#

The following code example will show you how to create a generic SortedDictionary collection in C#:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace SortedDictionaryExample
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a new SortedDictionary
            SortedDictionary<int, string> sortedDictionary = new SortedDictionary<int, string>();

            // Add key-value pairs to the SortedDictionary
            sortedDictionary.Add(1, "Shekh Ali");
            sortedDictionary.Add(2, "Deepak");
            sortedDictionary.Add(3, "Jim");

            // Access the values in the SortedDictionary
            Console.WriteLine("Name: " + sortedDictionary[1]);
            Console.WriteLine("Name: " + sortedDictionary[2]);
            Console.WriteLine("Name: " + sortedDictionary[3]);

            // Remove a key-value pair from the SortedDictionary
            sortedDictionary.Remove(3);

            // Check if a key is present in the SortedDictionary
            if (sortedDictionary.ContainsKey(3))
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Jim's Id: " + sortedDictionary[3]);
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Jim is not present in the SortedDictionary");
            }

            // Iterate through the SortedDictionary
            foreach (KeyValuePair<int, string> item in sortedDictionary)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($" Id :{item.Key} Name: {item.Value}");
            }

            // Clear the SortedDictionary
            sortedDictionary.Clear();

            // Check if the SortedDictionary is empty
            if (sortedDictionary.Count == 0)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The SortedDictionary is empty");
            }
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}

Output:

Key Differences between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#

Here are some of the key differences between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#:

Feature	SortedList	SortedDictionary
Performance:	SortedList is faster for data retrieval but slower for inserting new items compared to SortedDictionary.	SortedDictionary is faster for inserting new items, but slower for lookups compared to SortedList.
Memory usage:	SortedList uses more memory than SortedDictionary.	SortedDictionary uses less memory than SortedList
Access elements:	In a `SortedList`, elements can be retrieved through an index.	However, in a `SortedDictionary`, elements can be retrieved through the index or a key. The key-based method of accessing elements is sufficient, making the use of the index redundant.
Sorting:	In SortedList, the data is by default arranged in sorted order.	On the other hand, the data in SortedDictionary is not arranged in any specific order and needs to be sorted before it can be used.
Data type:	SortedList supports non-generic and generic data types	SortedDictionary only supports generic data types

SortedList Vs SortedDictionary in C#

When to use SortedList in C#?

SortedList is a good choice when:

You need to store data in a sorted manner and want to retrieve data quickly.
You are working with non-generic data types.
You have a limited amount of items to store and don’t mind using more memory

When to use SortedDictionary in C#?

SortedDictionary is a good choice when:

You need to store data in a sorted manner and perform insertions quickly.
You are working with generic data types.
You have a large number of items and want to minimize memory usage.

FAQ:

The following are some frequently asked questions about the “Difference between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#”:

Q: What are SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

SortedList and SortedDictionary are both collection classes in C# that allow you to store key-value pairs in a sorted manner and don’t allow duplicate keys.

Q: What is the difference between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

A SortedList is a collection that allows you to retrieve the key-value data using indexes very quickly. A SortedDictionary, on the other hand, allows you to retrieve data using either keys or indexes and offers faster insertion and removal of unsorted data than a SortedList. A SortedList can retrieve data faster than SortedDictionary but it consumes more memory than the SortedDictionary.

Q: When should you use SortedList and when should you use SortedDictionary in C#?

You can use SortedList If you need to access values using an index. SortedDictionary is a good choice if you want to prioritize performance and memory usage.

Q: How do you check if a key is present in SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

You can check if a key is present in SortedList and SortedDictionary using the ContainsKey method.

Q: How do you iterate through SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

You can iterate through SortedList and SortedDictionary using a foreach loop and access the key-value pairs using the KeyValuePair structure.

References: MSDN-Sorted Collection, SortedDictionary

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Shekh Ali

Meet Sheikh Ali, a skilled Software engineer and passionate a blogger. He enjoys sharing his expertise in C#, Java, SQL, Design Patterns, and other related topics through his writing. When he's not coding, Sheikh Ali can often indulge in his passions for reading books and fitness training.

What is SortedList in C#?

Syntax:

Example: Creating a SortedList in C#

What is SortedDictionary in C#?

Syntax:

Example: Creating a SortedDictionary in C#

Key Differences between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#

When to use SortedList in C#?

When to use SortedDictionary in C#?

FAQ:

Q: What are SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

Q: What is the difference between SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

Q: When should you use SortedList and when should you use SortedDictionary in C#?

Q: How do you check if a key is present in SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

Q: How do you iterate through SortedList and SortedDictionary in C#?

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