c# - How can I sort a string of text followed by a number using LINQ

Question

I have been using the following sort:

var query = _cityRepository.GetAll(
               .OrderBy(item => item.RowKey.Substring(0, 4))
               .ThenBy(item => item.ShortTitle)

However I am having a problem because my ShortTitle looks like this:

Liverpool - 1
Liverpool - 2
...
Liverpool - 9
Liverpool - 10
Liverpool - 11
West Kirby - 1
West Kirby - 8
West Kirby - 12

When I sort this using LINQ it comes in the order

Liverpool - 1
Liverpool - 11
Liverpool - 12
Liverpool - 2
West Kirby - 1
West Kirby - 12
West Kirby - 8

The ShortTitle is always a string of words followed by a single hyphen and then a number.

Is there a way I can get this to sort correctly?

Answer 1

Try this

List<string> list = new List<string>() { 
    "Liverpool - 1",
    "Liverpool - 11",
    "Liverpool - 12",
    "Liverpool - 2",
    "West Kirby - 1",
    "West Kirby - 12",
    "West Kirby - 8" };
var sortedList = list.CustomSort().ToArray();    


public static class MyExtensions
{
    public static IEnumerable<string> CustomSort(this IEnumerable<string> list)
    {
        int maxLen = list.Select(s => s.Length).Max();

        return list.Select(s => new
        {
            OrgStr = s,
            SortStr = Regex.Replace(s, @"(d+)|(D+)", m => m.Value.PadLeft(maxLen, char.IsDigit(m.Value[0]) ? ' ' : 'xffff'))
        })
        .OrderBy(x => x.SortStr)
        .Select(x => x.OrgStr);
    }

}