Soenneker.Extensions.List 11.0.1014

Soenneker.Extensions.List

In-place replacement, removal, shuffling, random selection, and set conversion for List<T> and IList<T>.

Installation

dotnet add package Soenneker.Extensions.List

Replace or remove the first match

using Soenneker.Extensions.List;

var jobs = new List<Job> {queued, running, completed};

jobs.Replace(job => job.Id == updated.Id, updated);
jobs.Remove(job => job.Id == obsoleteId);

Replace() changes only the first match. Remove() removes only the first match and preserves the order of every remaining item. A null or empty list is a no-op. A null predicate throws only when the list contains items.

Use the state-aware RemoveAll() when every match should be removed without a closure allocation:

int removed = jobs.RemoveAll(
    static (job, state) => job.Status == (JobStatus)state!,
    JobStatus.Completed);

RemoveAll() compacts survivors in place, preserves their order, and returns the number removed. The list and predicate must not be mutated recursively while any of these operations are evaluating the predicate.

Shuffle in place

items.Shuffle();       // fast, non-cryptographic
items.SecureShuffle(); // cryptographic random source

Both methods use an unbiased Fisher-Yates shuffle and modify the supplied writable IList<T>. Null lists and lists with fewer than two items are unchanged. Shuffle() is appropriate for presentation order, retry spreading, and games that do not involve security. Use SecureShuffle() when the permutation must not be predictable, such as drawing prizes or security-sensitive assignments.

Neither method returns a copy. Create one first when the original order must be retained:

var shuffled = new List<Card>(deck);
shuffled.Shuffle();

Select one item

Server? server = servers.GetRandom();

GetRandom() uses the same fast, non-cryptographic source as Shuffle(). It returns default(T) for a null or empty list, so the result cannot distinguish an empty list from a list whose selected element is itself null or the value-type default.

Create a set

HashSet<string> names = values.ToHashSet(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);

ToHashSet() returns a new set and removes duplicates according to the supplied comparer, or EqualityComparer<T>.Default when none is supplied. A null or empty list returns an empty set configured with that comparer. Later changes to the list and set are independent.