which sorting algorithms is using OrderBy

Question

I am litle curious about what sorting algorithm is using OrderBy (linq to objects). quicksort? heapsort? introspective sort ?

As i see in MSDN documentation List.Sort is using introspective sort: see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/b0zbh7b6.aspx

Maybe OrderBy use the same?

If we go to order by documetation i don't see much information: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.linq.enumerable.orderby(v=vs.110).aspx

• RBT: Two very related posts on SO here (About LINQ based Sorting) and here (About Array data type sorting)

Answer 1

Apparently it uses a stable quicksort.

This has been verified using reflector.

See: https://stackoverflow.com/a/2792105/569777

• Rolando: could be, sadly was ansewered 2 years. As i can see it, the implementation from one version to another version of framework could be different (example: array.sort from fm2 was quicksort and for the fm4.5 is introspective sort )
• MetaFight: Reflector is your friend :)
• svick: @MetaFight There are also free alternatives, like dotPeek.
• MetaFight: True. I keep forgetting it isn't free anymore.