C# LINQ - sort and group a Dictionary<string,DateTime> by date with maximum group size -

i looking created batches dictionary<string, datetime> following constraints:

1. all items in batch share same date
2. there can no more x items in single batch. if there more items same date, batch must created.

i have worked out following logic, wondering if there other more succinct way of doing linq.

using system; using system.collections.generic; using system.linq; using system.text;  namespace dictionary_sort_by_value_test {     class program     {         static void main(string[] args)         {             int maxbatchsize = 3;              dictionary<string, datetime> secs = new dictionary<string, datetime>();             secs.add("6571 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 10));             secs.add("6572 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 12));             secs.add("6573 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 12));             secs.add("6574 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 12));             secs.add("6575 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 10));             secs.add("6576 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 11));             secs.add("6577 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 11));             secs.add("6578 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 11));             secs.add("6579 jt", new datetime(2011, 1, 11));              var sorted = secs.orderby(o => o.value).groupby(o => o.value);              foreach (var date in sorted)             {                     console.write("\nnew batch @ {0} \n", date.key);                 int batchsize = 0;                 foreach (var sec in date)                 {                     if (batchsize < maxbatchsize)                     {                         console.write("  {0} {1} \n", sec.key, sec.value);                         batchsize++;                     }                     else                     {                         console.write("\nnew batch @ {0} \n", date.key);                         console.write("  {0} {1} \n", sec.key, sec.value);                         batchsize = 1;                     }                 }             }         }     } } 

you group key, inside result group item index divided desired chunk size.

var chunksize = 3; var sorted = secs     .orderby(kv => kv.key)     .groupby(o => o.value)     .select(g => new {chunks = g.select((o,i) => new {val = o, index = i})                                 .groupby(item => item.index / chunksize)}); 

and displaying it:

 foreach(var item in sorted.selectmany(item => item.chunks))  {      console.writeline("new batch @ " + item.first().val.value);      foreach(var element in item)          console.writeline(element.val.key); }