vb.net array.sort() parameters why 1 short? - vb.net

Question

I'm sorting an array using code like this:
Array.Sort(arr, 0, intEndingPosition, New myIComparer)
I want the sorting to start with index 0 and end with index intEndingPosition. However, the last element arr(intEndingPosition) was left out and did not get sorted. Why?
intEndingPosition is calculated beforehand like this:
Dim StringOfConcern As String
Dim OneChar(65534), FrqOne(65534) As String
Dim CntNewOnes, CntRptOnes As Integer
Dim c As Char
Dim i, j As Integer
Dim isNew As Boolean
StringOfConcern = TextBox1.Text
OneChar(0) = CStr(StringOfConcern(0))
FrqOne(0) = 1
i = 0
j = 0
For Each c In StringOfConcern.Substring(1)
isNew = True
For j = 0 To i Step 1
If CStr(c) = OneChar(j) Then
isNew = False
FrqOne(j) += 1
Exit For
End If
Next j
If isNew = True Then
i += 1
OneChar(i) = CStr(c)
FrqOne(i) = 1
End If
Next c
CntNewOnes = i + 1
CntRptOnes = 0
For i = 0 To CntNewOnes - 1 Step 1
If FrqOne(i) > 1 Then CntRptOnes += 1
Next i
The sorting follows here. The code in my original question is only illustrative. The actual sorting is:
Array.Sort(FrqOne, OneChar, 0, CntNewOnes - 1)
Array.Reverse(FrqOne, 0, CntNewOnes - 1)
Array.Reverse(OneChar, 0, CntNewOnes - 1)

Answer 1

Note the method declaration for Array.Sort
Public Shared Sub Sort (
array As Array,
index As Integer,
length As Integer,
comparer As IComparer
)
The third parameter is the number of elements in the range to sort (length) not the end index as you suggest.
So let's assume for a minute that your intEndingPosition is 4. This means you're expecting to sort 5 elements i.e. elements at indices 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. However, the number 4 is the length and not the end index thus you're only sorting elements at indices 0, 1, 2, 3.
This explains why you're observing that the elements being sorted is one shorter than you expected.
Put it simply the third parameter should specify the length of elements to sort and not the end index.
Another Example:
Consider the Substring method of the String class:
Public Function Substring (
startIndex As Integer,
length As Integer
) As String
Then assume we have this piece of code:
Dim temp As String = "testing"
Dim result As String = temp.Substring(0, 4)
result is now a string containing 4 characters as 4 in the Substring call indicates the length that should be retrieved as opposed to the end index.
Had 4 been the end index then you'd expect result to contain 5 characters.