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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"Array.Sort method call situationally ignores string-comparer argument","articleBody":"Note: \r\n\r\n* The problem occurs if the the array elements are invisibly `[psobject]`-wrapped, as happens when you create an array via a `Write-Output` call, for instance.\r\n\r\n* As such, it is another manifestation of #5579.\r\n\r\n`Array.Sort()` is just _one_ manifestation: any .NET method call with an `array` / `object[]`-typed array argument that relies on seeing the true array element types rather than their incidental `[psobject]` wrappers will behave unexpectedly from the user's perspective.\r\n\r\n## Steps to reproduce\r\n\r\n```powershell\r\n# OK, with array constructed *by an expression*.\r\n$a = \"b\", \"ä\", \"a\"; [Array]::Sort($a, [StringComparer]::Ordinal)\r\n$a -join ' ' | Should -Be \"a b ä\"  # OK - non-ASCII character ä comes LAST in ordinal sorting.\r\n\r\n# !! BROKEN, with array constructed via Write-Output, resulting in\r\n# !! individually [psobject]-wrapped strings.\r\n$a = Write-Output \"b\", \"ä\", \"a\"; [Array]::Sort($a, [StringComparer]::Ordinal)\r\n$a -join ' ' | Should -Be \"a b ä\"  # !! BROKEN - outputs \"a ä b\" instead\r\n```\r\n\r\n## Expected behavior\r\n\r\nBoth tests should succeed, as it shouldn't matter how the array is constructed.\r\n\r\n## Actual behavior\r\n\r\nThe 2nd test fails:\r\n\r\n```none\r\nExpected strings to be the same, but they were different. String lengths are both 5. Strings differ at index 2. \r\nExpected: 'a b ä' But was:  'a ä b'\r\n```\r\n\r\nThat is, the string-comparer argument was effectively ignored, because the `.Sort()` method saw `psobject` instances, not _strings_.\r\n\r\n## Environment data\r\n\r\n```none\r\nPowerShell Core 7.2.0-preview.3\r\n```\r\n","author":{"url":"https://github.com/mklement0","@type":"Person","name":"mklement0"},"datePublished":"2021-02-17T16:16:05.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":4},"url":"https://github.com/14829/PowerShell/issues/14829"}