C# Loop and Sort an Array

In C#, arrays are a commonly used data structure. Arrays can store multiple values of the same data type, and allow for easy manipulation and access to the individual elements. One common operation on arrays is sorting the elements, which can be accomplished with a variety of techniques.

Looping Through an Array

Before we can sort an array, we need to know how to loop through its elements. There are several ways to do this in C#, including for loops, foreach loops, and while loops. Here's an example of how to use a for loop to iterate through an array of integers:

1int[] numbers = { 3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5, 3 };
2
3for (int i = 0; i < numbers.Length; i++)
4{
5    Console.WriteLine(numbers[i]);
6}

This code declares an array of integers called numbers, and then uses a for loop to iterate through each element and print it to the console. Note that the Length property is used to determine the size of the array.

Sorting an Array

Now that we know how to loop through an array, let's look at how to sort it. C# provides several built-in methods for sorting arrays, including Array.Sort() and Array.Reverse(). Here's an example of how to use Array.Sort() to sort the numbers array from our previous example:

1int[] numbers = { 3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5, 3 };
2
3Array.Sort(numbers);
4
5for (int i = 0; i < numbers.Length; i++)
6{
7    Console.WriteLine(numbers[i]);
8}

This code sorts the numbers array in ascending order using Array.Sort(), and then uses a for loop to print out the sorted values.

Reverse an Array

If we wanted to sort the array in descending order, we could use the Array.Reverse() method like this:

1int[] numbers = { 3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5, 3 };
2
3Array.Sort(numbers);
4Array.Reverse(numbers);
5
6for (int i = 0; i < numbers.Length; i++)
7{
8    Console.WriteLine(numbers[i]);
9}

This code first sorts the numbers array in ascending order using Array.Sort(), and then reverses the order using Array.Reverse().