private ListViewColumnSorter lvwColumnSorter;

// create an instance of a ListView column sorter and assign it

// to the ListView control.

lvwColumnSorter = new ListViewColumnSorter();

this.listView1.ListViewItemSorter = lvwColumnSorter;

ColumnHeader columnheader;// Used for creating column headers.

ListViewItem listviewitem;// Used for creating listview items.

// Ensure that the view is set to show details.

listView1.View = View.Details;

// create some listview items consisting of first and last names.

listviewitem = new ListViewItem("John");

listviewitem.SubItems.Add("Smith");

this.listView1.Items.Add(listviewitem);

listviewitem = new ListViewItem("Bob");

listviewitem.SubItems.Add("Taylor");

this.listView1.Items.Add(listviewitem);

listviewitem = new ListViewItem("Kim");

listviewitem.SubItems.Add("Zimmerman");

this.listView1.Items.Add(listviewitem);

listviewitem = new ListViewItem("Olivia");

listviewitem.SubItems.Add("Johnson");

this.listView1.Items.Add(listviewitem);

// create some column headers for the data.

columnheader = new ColumnHeader();

columnheader.Text = "First Name";

this.listView1.Columns.Add(columnheader);

columnheader = new ColumnHeader();

columnheader.Text = "Last Name";

this.listView1.Columns.Add(columnheader);

// Loop through and size each column header to fit the column header text.

foreach (ColumnHeader ch in this.listView1.Columns)

{

    ch.Width = -2;

}

// Determine if clicked column is already the column that is being sorted.

if (e.Column == lvwColumnSorter.SortColumn)

{

    // Reverse the current sort direction for this column.

    if (lvwColumnSorter.Order == SortOrder.Ascending)

    {

        lvwColumnSorter.Order = SortOrder.Descending;

    }

    else

    {

        lvwColumnSorter.Order = SortOrder.Ascending;

    }

}

else

{

    // Set the column number that is to be sorted; default to ascending.

    lvwColumnSorter.SortColumn = e.Column;

    lvwColumnSorter.Order = SortOrder.Ascending;

}

// Perform the sort with these new sort options.

this.listView1.Sort();

using System.Collections;

using System.Windows.Forms;

/// <summary>

/// This class is an implementation of the 'IComparer' interface.

/// </summary>

public class ListViewColumnSorter : IComparer

{

    /// <summary>

    /// Specifies the column to be sorted

    /// </summary>

    private int ColumnToSort;

    /// <summary>

    /// Specifies the order in which to sort (i.e. 'Ascending').

    /// </summary>

    private SortOrder OrderOfSort;

    /// <summary>

    /// Case insensitive comparer object

    /// </summary>

    private CaseInsensitiveComparer ObjectCompare;

    /// <summary>

    /// Class constructor. Initializes various elements

    /// </summary>

    public ListViewColumnSorter()

    {

        // Initialize the column to '0'

        ColumnToSort = 0;

        // Initialize the sort order to 'none'

        OrderOfSort = SortOrder.None;

        // Initialize the CaseInsensitiveComparer object

        ObjectCompare = new CaseInsensitiveComparer();

    }

    /// <summary>

    /// This method is inherited from the IComparer interface. It compares the two objects passed using a case insensitive comparison.

    /// </summary>

    /// <param name="x">First object to be compared</param>

    /// <param name="y">Second object to be compared</param>

    /// <returns>The result of the comparison. "0" if equal, negative if 'x' is less than 'y' and positive if 'x' is greater than 'y'</returns>

    public int Compare(object x, object y)

    {

        int compareResult;

        ListViewItem listviewX, listviewY;

        // Cast the objects to be compared to ListViewItem objects

        listviewX = (ListViewItem)x;

        listviewY = (ListViewItem)y;

        // Compare the two items

        compareResult = ObjectCompare.Compare(listviewX.SubItems[ColumnToSort].Text,listviewY.SubItems[ColumnToSort].Text);

        // Calculate correct return value based on object comparison

        if (OrderOfSort == SortOrder.Ascending)

        {

            // Ascending sort is selected, return normal result of compare operation

            return compareResult;

        }

        else if (OrderOfSort == SortOrder.Descending)

        {

            // Descending sort is selected, return negative result of compare operation

            return (-compareResult);

        }

        else

        {

            // Return '0' to indicate they are equal

            return 0;

        }

    }

    /// <summary>

    /// Gets or sets the number of the column to which to apply the sorting operation (Defaults to '0').

    /// </summary>

    public int SortColumn

    {

        set

        {

            ColumnToSort = value;

        }

        get

        {

            return ColumnToSort;

        }

    }

    /// <summary>

    /// Gets or sets the order of sorting to apply (for example, 'Ascending' or 'Descending').

    /// </summary>

    public SortOrder Order

    {

        set

        {

            OrderOfSort = value;

        }

        get

        {

            return OrderOfSort;

        }

    }

}