Math.Min<T> Max<T> Clamp<T>

[TonyValenti]

Background and Motivation

Please make it easier to min/max/clamp any classes.

Proposed API

Right now the Math.Min / Max / Clamp methods only work with a small number of built in data types. A generic version of these methods should be introduced on the Comparer<T> base class.

public T Comparer<T>.Min(T Value1, T Value2);
public T Comparer<T>.Max(T Value1, T Value2);
public T Comparer<T>.Clamp(T Value, T Min, T Max);

public static T Comparer.Min(T Value1, T Value2) => Comparer<T>.Default.Min(Value1, Value2);
public static T Comparer.Max(T Value1, T Value2) => Comparer<T>.Default.Max(Value1, Value2);
public static T Comparer.Clamp(T Value, T Min, T Max) => Comparer<T>.Default.Clamp(Value1, Min, Max);

Example Implementation

    public static class ComparerExtensions {
        public static T Min<T>(this Comparer<T> This, T Value1, T Value2) {
            var ret = This.Compare(Value1, Value2) <= 0
                ? Value1
                : Value2
                ;

            return ret;
        }

        public static T Max<T>(this Comparer<T> This, T Value1, T Value2) {
            var ret = This.Compare(Value1, Value2) >= 0
                ? Value1
                : Value2
                ;

            return ret;
        }

        public static T Clamp<T>(this Comparer<T> This, T Value, T Min, T Max) {
            var ret = Value;
            if (This.Compare(Value, Min) < 0) {
                ret = Min;
            } else if (This.Compare(Value, Max) > 0) {
                ret = Max;
            }

            return ret;
        }
    }

Usage Examples

Comparer.Clamp(MyValue, TimeSpan.Zero, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30))

Alternative Designs

This could just be ignored.

Risks

None.

[Dotnet-GitSync-Bot]

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[EgorBo]

Comparer<T>.Default.CompareToneeds to be devirtualized for this: #39873

[ghost]

Tagging subscribers to this area: @tannergooding, @pgovind, @jeffhandley
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[GrabYourPitchforks]

Generic min / max / clamp methods seem worthwhile. But the names feel a bit wrong (first / last? before / after?), and Math might not be the right place for it. Otherwise you end up with weirdness like this:

string first = Math.Min("foo", "bar"); // would compile and return a logical result

I don't have better recommendations unfortunately. :(

[En3Tho]

What about Comparer.Min/Max/Clamp? Or some new Comparable class? But this way Math still would need specified methods and Comparer class would have generic ones?...

[TonyValenti]

@En3Tho Excellent idea!

[GrabYourPitchforks]

Related: #18481

[tannergooding]

@TonyValenti, could you update the original post with the updated API proposal? It sounds like users are wanting to add this to Comparable?

[TonyValenti]

@tannergooding Updated.

[tannergooding]

This might be feasible with the generic math interfaces that are being proposed.

[tannergooding]

Closing. This is now feasible using the generic math interfaces. In particular anything where T : INumber<T> can now T.Min, T.Max, or T.Clamp