[java] How to use a Java8 lambda to sort a stream in reverse order?

I'm using java lambda to sort a list.

how can I sort it in a reverse way?

I saw this post, but I want to use java 8 lambda.

Here is my code (I used * -1) as a hack

Arrays.asList(files).stream()
    .filter(file -> isNameLikeBaseLine(file, baseLineFile.getName()))
    .sorted(new Comparator<File>() {
        public int compare(File o1, File o2) {
            int answer;
            if (o1.lastModified() == o2.lastModified()) {
                answer = 0;
            } else if (o1.lastModified() > o2.lastModified()) {
                answer = 1;
            } else {
                answer = -1;
            }
            return -1 * answer;
        }
    })
    .skip(numOfNewestToLeave)
    .forEach(item -> item.delete());

This can easily be done using Java 8 and the use of a reversed Comparator.

I have created a list of files from a directory, which I display unsorted, sorted and reverse sorted using a simple Comparator for the sort and then calling reversed() on it to get the reversed version of that Comparator.

See code below:

package test;

import java.io.File;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Comparator;
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;

public class SortTest {
    public static void main(String... args) {
        File directory = new File("C:/Media");
        File[] files = directory.listFiles();
        List<File> filesList = Arrays.asList(files);

        Comparator<File> comparator = Comparator.comparingLong(File::lastModified);
        Comparator<File> reverseComparator = comparator.reversed();

        List<File> forwardOrder = filesList.stream().sorted(comparator).collect(Collectors.toList());
        List<File> reverseOrder = filesList.stream().sorted(reverseComparator).collect(Collectors.toList());

        System.out.println("*** Unsorted ***");
        filesList.forEach(SortTest::processFile);

        System.out.println("*** Sort ***");
        forwardOrder.forEach(SortTest::processFile);

        System.out.println("*** Reverse Sort ***");
        reverseOrder.forEach(SortTest::processFile);
    }

    private static void processFile(File file) {
        try {
            if (file.isFile()) {
                System.out.println(file.getCanonicalPath() + " - " + new Date(file.lastModified()));
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

If your stream elements implements Comparable then the solution becomes simpler:

 ...stream()
 .sorted(Comparator.reverseOrder())

In simple, using Comparator and Collection you can sort like below in reversal order using JAVA 8

import java.util.Comparator;;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;

Arrays.asList(files).stream()
    .sorted(Comparator.comparing(File::getLastModified).reversed())
    .collect(Collectors.toList());

You can define your Comparator with your own logic like this;

private static final Comparator<UserResource> sortByLastLogin = (c1, c2) -> {
    if (Objects.isNull(c1.getLastLoggedin())) {
        return -1;
    } else if (Objects.isNull(c2.getLastLoggedin())) {
        return 1;
    }
    return c1.getLastLoggedin().compareTo(c2.getLastLoggedin());
};   

And use it inside foreach as:

list.stream()
     .sorted(sortCredentialsByLastLogin.reversed())
     .collect(Collectors.toList());

For reverse sorting just change the order of x1, x2 for calling the x1.compareTo(x2) method the result will be reverse to one another

Default order

List<String> sortedByName = citiesName.stream().sorted((s1,s2)->s1.compareTo(s2)).collect(Collectors.toList());
System.out.println("Sorted by Name : "+ sortedByName);

Reverse Order

List<String> reverseSortedByName = citiesName.stream().sorted((s1,s2)->s2.compareTo(s1)).collect(Collectors.toList());
System.out.println("Reverse Sorted by Name : "+ reverseSortedByName );

You can use a method reference:

import static java.util.Comparator.*;
import static java.util.stream.Collectors.*;

Arrays.asList(files).stream()
    .filter(file -> isNameLikeBaseLine(file, baseLineFile.getName()))
    .sorted(comparing(File::lastModified).reversed())
    .skip(numOfNewestToLeave)
    .forEach(item -> item.delete());

In alternative of method reference you can use a lambda expression, so the argument of comparing become:

.sorted(comparing(file -> file.lastModified()).reversed());

Sort file list with java 8 Collections

Example how to use Collections and Comparator Java 8 to sort a File list.

import java.io.File;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Comparator;
import java.util.List;

public class ShortFile {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        List<File> fileList = new ArrayList<>();
        fileList.add(new File("infoSE-201904270100.txt"));
        fileList.add(new File("infoSE-201904280301.txt"));
        fileList.add(new File("infoSE-201904280101.txt"));
        fileList.add(new File("infoSE-201904270101.txt"));

        fileList.forEach(x -> System.out.println(x.getName()));
        Collections.sort(fileList, Comparator.comparing(File::getName).reversed());
        System.out.println("===========================================");
        fileList.forEach(x -> System.out.println(x.getName()));
    }
}

Alternative way sharing:

ASC

List<Animal> animals = this.service.findAll();
animals = animals.stream().sorted(Comparator.comparing(Animal::getName)).collect(Collectors.toList());

DESC

List<Animal> animals = this.service.findAll();
animals = animals.stream().sorted(Comparator.comparing(Animal::getName).reversed()).collect(Collectors.toList());

Instead of all these complications, this simple step should do the trick for reverse sorting using Lambda .sorted(Comparator.reverseOrder())

Arrays.asList(files).stream()
.filter(file -> isNameLikeBaseLine(file, baseLineFile.getName()))
.sorted(Comparator.reverseOrder()).skip(numOfNewestToLeave)
.forEach(item -> item.delete());

Use

Comparator<File> comparator = Comparator.comparing(File::lastModified); 
Collections.sort(list, comparator.reversed());

Then

.forEach(item -> item.delete());

If you want to sort by Object's date type property then

public class Visit implements Serializable, Comparable<Visit>{
private static final long serialVersionUID = 4976278839883192037L;

private Date dos;

public Date getDos() {
    return dos;
}

public void setDos(Date dos) {
    this.dos = dos;
}

@Override
public int compareTo(Visit visit) {
    return this.getDos().compareTo(visit.getDos());
}

}

List<Visit> visits = getResults();//Method making the list
Collections.sort(visits, Collections.reverseOrder());//Reverser order