C# Linq intersect/except with one part of object

Question

I've got a class:

class ThisClass
{
  private string a {get; set;}
  private string b {get; set;}
}

I would like to use the Intersect and Except methods of Linq, i.e.:

private List<ThisClass> foo = new List<ThisClass>();
private List<ThisClass> bar = new List<ThisClass>();

Then I fill the two lists separately. I'd like to do, for example (and I know this isn't right, just pseudo code), the following:

foo[a].Intersect(bar[a]);

How would I do this?

Answer 1

If you want a list of a single property you'd like to intersect then all the other pretty LINQ solutions work just fine. BUT! If you'd like to intersect on a whole class though and as a result have a List<ThisClass> instead of List<string> you'll have to write your own equality comparer.

foo.Intersect(bar, new YourEqualityComparer());

same with Except.

public class YourEqualityComparer: IEqualityComparer<ThisClass>
{

    #region IEqualityComparer<ThisClass> Members


    public bool Equals(ThisClass x, ThisClass y)
    {
        //no null check here, you might want to do that, or correct that to compare just one part of your object
        return x.a == y.a && x.b == y.b;
    }


    public int GetHashCode(ThisClass obj)
    {
        unchecked
        {
            var hash = 17;
                            //same here, if you only want to get a hashcode on a, remove the line with b
            hash = hash * 23 + obj.a.GetHashCode();
            hash = hash * 23 + obj.b.GetHashCode();

            return hash;    
        }
    }

    #endregion
}