sort a structure by a string vb.net

[wartech]

I would like to sort a structure based on a string. In particular I am trying to sort all the items in ItemType. I know how to do it with an integer but was unsure on how to sort a string.

Module Module1
    Dim itemCode(8) As String
    Dim itemType(8) As String
    Dim uHand(8) As Long
    Dim aUnit(8) As Single
    Dim sUnit(8) As Single
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim fs As New FileStream("file.txt", FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write)
    Dim s As New StreamWriter(fs)
    Dim hdr As String
    Dim bdr As String
    Dim arr As String
    Dim tCost As Long
    Dim tSales As Long
    Dim tIncome As Long
    Dim tUhand As Long
    Dim str As String 

 Structure dFile
        Public ItemCode As String
        Public ItemType As String
        Public uhand As Long
        Public aunit As Single
        Public sunit As Single
   
    End Structure
  
Sub Main()
        arrLoad()
        crFile()
        rOne()

        End Sub


 Sub arrLoad()

        IC() 'load arrays
        IT()
        uH()
        aU()
        sU()

        Dim dataFile(8) As dFile
        For I As Integer = 0 To 8
            dataFile(I).ItemCode = itemCode(I)
            dataFile(I).ItemType = itemType(I)
            dataFile(I).uhand = uHand(I)
            dataFile(I).aunit = aUnit(I)
            dataFile(I).sunit = sUnit(I)

        Next

    End Sub


 Sub crFile()
            For i = 0 To 8
                s.WriteLine(((itemCode(i) & "               " & itemType(i) & "                           " & uHand(i) & _
            "                              " & aUnit(i) & "                                " & sUnit(i))))
                tCost += (uHand(i) * aUnit(i))
                tSales += (uHand(i) * sUnit(i))
            Next
            tIncome += (tSales - tCost)
            s.Close()
        End Sub

[arjonesiii]

The simplest way is to change your structure to implement IComparable. For example:

Structure dFile
Implements IComparable
Public ItemCode As String
Public ItemType As String
Public uhand As Long
Public aunit As Single
Public sunit As Single
Public Function CompareTo(ByVal obj As Object) As Integer _
Implements IComparable.CompareTo
Dim df As dFile = CType(obj, dFile)
Return Me.ItemType.CompareTo(df.ItemType)
End Function
End Structure

Having done that, you can use the built-in Array.Sort method on your array of dFile structures.

[wartech]

Thanks for the help! I was able to sort by item type, but did not keep the structure together when doing so. I had records that were being mismatched. Where did I go wrong?

  Structure dFile
        Implements IComparable
        Public ItemCode As String
        Public ItemType As String
        Public uhand As Long
        Public aunit As Single
        Public sunit As Single
        Public Function CompareTo(ByVal obj As Object) As Integer _
        Implements IComparable.CompareTo
            Dim datafile As dFile = CType(obj, dFile)
            Return Me.ItemType.CompareTo(datafile.ItemType)
        End Function
    End Structure
    Sub arrLoad()

        IC() 'load arrays
        IT()
        uH()
        aU()
        sU()

        Dim datafile(8) As dFile
        For I As Integer = 0 To 8
            dataFile(I).ItemCode = itemCode(I)
            dataFile(I).ItemType = itemType(I)
            dataFile(I).uhand = uHand(I)
            dataFile(I).aunit = aUnit(I)
            dataFile(I).sunit = sUnit(I)

        Next
        Array.Sort(datafile, itemType)
End Sub