In TreeSet, Sorting & Uniqueness of custom objects based on different properties

SmartSolution picture SmartSolution · Dec 15, 2010 · Viewed 47.7k times · Source

Below is my Student class

class Student implements Comparable {
   String name;
   int rollNo;

   @Override
   public int compareTo(Object obj) {
        return ((Student)obj).name.compareTo(this.name);
   }
} 

latest modification: but still no getting the right result

@Override
public int compareTo(Object obj) {
    Student s = (Student) obj;
    if (name.equals(s.name)) { // achieving uniqueness
        return 0;
    } else {
        if (rollNo < s.rollNo) {
            return -1;
        } else if (rollNo > s.rollNo) {
            return 1;
        } else {
            // this makes `name` the second ordering option.
            // names don't equal here
            return name.compareTo(s.name);
        }
    }
}

If I create object of TreeSet<Student>, I am getting sorted list of Student objects based on unique name & ordered by name also.

But I need unique student-name in my TreeSet<Student> with order by student-rollNo.

Is it possible with Comparator? Can anybody help me, Every suggestion is appreciated. Thanks.

UPDATE: here is the complete program:

public class Student implements Comparable {

    int rollNo;
    String name;

    Student(String n,int rno) {
        rollNo=rno;
        name=n;
    }

    /**
     * @param args
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        TreeSet<Student> ts = new TreeSet<Student>();
        ts.add(new Student("bbb",2));
        ts.add(new Student("aaa",4));
        ts.add(new Student("bbb",2));
        ts.add(new Student("ccc",3));
        ts.add(new Student("aaa",1));
        ts.add(new Student("bbb",2));
        ts.add(new Student("bbb",5));

        System.out.println(ts);

    }

    @Override
    public int compareTo(Object obj) {
        Student s = (Student) obj;
        if (name.equals(s.name)) { // achieving uniqueness
            return 0;
        } else {
            if (rollNo < s.rollNo) {
                return -1;
            } else if (rollNo > s.rollNo) {
                return 1;
            } else {
                // this makes `name` the second ordering option.
                // names don't equal here
                return name.compareTo(s.name);
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return name + rollNo;
    }
}

Update:2: Thank you all for your suggestions, I still need some more :)



/*
 * Actual scenario is having different properties,
 * So here I am just relating my actual scenario with Student class
 */
class Student implements Comparable {
    // sorting required on rollNo
    int rollNo;
    // Unique name is required
    String name;

    Student(String n, int rno) {
        rollNo = rno;
        name = n;
    }

    /**
     * 
     * @param args
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        TreeSet<Student> tsName = new TreeSet<Student>();
        // here by default, order & uniqueness by name only
        tsName.add(new Student("ccc", 2));
        tsName.add(new Student("aaa", 4));
        tsName.add(new Student("ddd", 1));
        tsName.add(new Student("bbb", 3));
        tsName.add(new Student("ddd", 5));
        // output: aaa:4, bbb:3, ccc:2, ddd:1
        System.out.println(tsName);

        // creating new comparator for student RollNo
        TreeSet<Student> tsRollNo = new TreeSet<Student>(new Comparator<Student>() {
                    public int compare(Student stud1, Student stud2) {
                        return new Integer(stud1.rollNo).compareTo(stud2.rollNo);
                    }
                });
        tsRollNo.addAll(tsName);
        System.out.println(tsRollNo);
        // now got the desire output: ddd:1, ccc:2, bbb:3, aaa:4
    }

    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
        // internally not used to check equality while adding objects
        // in TreeSet
        System.out.println("equals() for " + this + " & " + ((Student) obj));
        return false;// return false/true doesn't make any sense here
    }

    @Override
    public int compareTo(Object obj) {
        Student s = (Student) obj;
        // internally inside TreeSet, compareTo is used to decide
        // whether two objects are equal or not,
        // i.e. compareTo will return 0 for same object(here student name)
        System.out.println("compareTo() for " + this + " & " + ((Student) obj));
        // achieving uniqueness
        return name.compareTo(s.name);
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return name + ":" + rollNo;
    }
}

OUTPUT:

compareTo() for aaa:4 & ccc:2
compareTo() for ddd:1 & ccc:2
compareTo() for bbb:3 & ccc:2
compareTo() for bbb:3 & aaa:4
compareTo() for ddd:5 & ccc:2
compareTo() for ddd:5 & ddd:1
[aaa:4, bbb:3, ccc:2, ddd:1]
[ddd:1, ccc:2, bbb:3, aaa:4]

Friends, whatever I got by using two Comparators, Is it possible to achieve the same while adding the objects ?? I cannot first Add elements & then use new comparator to achieve the desired order.
I am manipulating thousands of values so need to consider performance also.

Answer

jmj picture jmj · Dec 16, 2010

in TreeSet It will use comparator while adding elements for sorting and unique check,

now the problem is if you use comparator for roll no you will have it sorted by roll no and unique roll nos too. you can't have both together in treeset.

I would suggest you to go for.

  1. TreeSet here you concentrate about duplicate removal
  2. then once you have unique data go for ArrayList and sort it in any order you want