---
title: "init(_:comparing:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Initializer
path: "foundation/sortdescriptor/init(_:comparing:)"
---

# init(_:comparing:)

Creates a sort descriptor using a sort descriptor and a type that you specify.

## Declaration

```swift
init?(_ descriptor: NSSortDescriptor, comparing comparedType: Compared.Type) where Compared : NSObject
```

## Parameters

- `descriptor`: A sort descriptor.
- `comparedType`: The type that the sort descriptor compares.

## Discussion

Discussion Returns nil if there isn’t a SortDescriptor equivalent to the NSSortDescriptor you specify, or if the selector to NSSortDescriptor isn’t one of the standard string comparison algorithms or compare(_:). The comparison for the created SortDescriptor uses the selector to the associated NSSortDescriptor directly, so in cases where the comparison of NSSortDescriptor might crash, the SortDescriptor comparison crashes as well.