Add numerical ordering option for string comparison operations

[PranavSenthilnathan]

Adds numerical ordering for comparison operations (e.g. Compare, Equals, GetHashCode, GetSortKey). This now enables comparisons of numbers based on their numerical value instead of lexicographical order, such as 2 < 10. We don't support Index operations (e.g. StartWith, EndsWith, IsPrefix, IsSuffix) since the underlying globalization libraries, NLS and ICU, don't support it.

Because this new option relies on underlying globalization libraries, there could be differences in behavior for different platforms and libraries:

• Full ICU (default in most cases):
  • Numbers with leading zeros are treated as equal to equivalent numbers with no leading zeros ("01" == "1").
  • Equivalent numbers in different languages/scripts are treated the same ("1" == "١", where ١ is the Arabic-Indic Digit One).
• NLS (legacy Windows):
  • Numbers with leading zeros are treated as unequal to equivalent numbers with no leading zeros ("01" != "1"). However, these numbers are compared as expected with unequal numbers, namely 1 < 02 < 2 < 03.
  • Equivalent numbers in different languages/scripts are treated as unequal ("1" != "١")
• Hybrid ICU:
  • WASM: The same as ICU, but the option set is limited. This PR does not change the valid option set besides allowing adding the NumericOrdering option to any previously valid option. See this for the allowed options.
  • iOS, tvos, maccatalyst: Not supported because I don't have an Apple device to test with. However, Apple does support numeric comparisons for strings.
    • NSString.CompareOptions API
    • PAL change would probably be to recognize the dotnet CompareOptions and convert it to the NSString.CompareOptions here

Closes #13979.

[dotnet-issue-labeler]

Note regarding the new-api-needs-documentation label:

This serves as a reminder for when your PR is modifying a ref *.cs file and adding/modifying public APIs, please make sure the API implementation in the src *.cs file is documented with triple slash comments, so the PR reviewers can sign off that change.

[dotnet-issue-labeler]

Note regarding the new-api-needs-documentation label:

This serves as a reminder for when your PR is modifying a ref *.cs file and adding/modifying public APIs, please make sure the API implementation in the src *.cs file is documented with triple slash comments, so the PR reviewers can sign off that change.

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[matouskozak]

Thank you for considering the Apple mobile globalization :). Could you please create an issue for the missing support on iOS/..., linking the original issue and the findings that you mentioned in the PR description. I'll look into it later.

I think we might have to temporarily disable the newly added tests for Apple mobile otherwise we will start getting PlatformNotSupportedException for the numeric ordering tests. I started the Apple mobile CI test runs to see if that's the case.

One more thing, in the PR description, there is an example for NLS

However, these numbers are compared as expected with unequal numbers, namely 1 < 02 < 2 < 03.

Does that mean that numbers with leading zeros are always smaller than without. Also, 002 < 02 then?

[PranavSenthilnathan]

/azp run runtime-ioslike,runtime-ioslikesimulator,runtime-maccatalyst

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[PranavSenthilnathan]

Thank you for considering the Apple mobile globalization :). Could you please create an issue for the missing support on iOS/..., linking the original issue and the findings that you mentioned in the PR description. I'll look into it later.

Created #109999

I think we might have to temporarily disable the newly added tests for Apple mobile otherwise we will start getting PlatformNotSupportedException for the numeric ordering tests. I started the Apple mobile CI test runs to see if that's the case.

Updated the PR to skip them. I introduced a new PlatformDetection property IsNumericComparisonSupported instead of reusing the IsHybridGlobalizationOnApplePlatform so it's easier to find and remove once when you get the test working.

One more thing, in the PR description, there is an example for NLS

However, these numbers are compared as expected with unequal numbers, namely 1 < 02 < 2 < 03.

Does that mean that numbers with leading zeros are always smaller than without. Also, 002 < 02 then?

Yes, if the numbers are actually equal, then in NLS the one with more leading zeros is considered less (it's basically a tiebreaker). This behavior is better for deterministic sorting of lists, but the downside is that hash tables won't consider these equal. I prefer ICU's behavior here (JS/wasm does the same) but I don't think there's much we can do about it.

[PranavSenthilnathan]

/azp run runtime-ioslike,runtime-ioslikesimulator,runtime-maccatalyst

[azure-pipelines]

Azure Pipelines successfully started running 3 pipeline(s).

[matouskozak]

Thank you for the test fixes. I checked the apple mobile CI and everything failing looks to be unrelated and tracked at #103472. Looking good from Apple mobile side.

@ilonatommy do you want to check the WASM changes?

[ilonatommy]

@ilonatommy do you want to check the WASM changes?

Sorry, I was away for a while. I read the WASM part and it looks good. Let me just run extra platforms with _HybridGlobalization suffix.

Edit: it did not get triggered, I found it under runtime-wasm

[ilonatommy]

/azp run runtime-extra-platforms

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Azure Pipelines successfully started running 1 pipeline(s).

[ilonatommy]

/azp run runtime-wasm-libtests

[azure-pipelines]

No pipelines are associated with this pull request.

[ilonatommy]

/azp run runtime-wasm

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Azure Pipelines successfully started running 1 pipeline(s).

[ilonatommy]

HybridGlobalization failures are not connected.