From 4919bb1161968c7ef01bc1dbed8da857c5937a6e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: James Vaughan <James.Vaughan@utoronto.ca>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:55:35 -0400
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Add Span option for creating categories

---
 src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+)

diff --git a/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs b/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs
index ceb3d23..ec4e7e3 100644
--- a/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs
+++ b/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs
@@ -66,6 +66,31 @@ public static bool CreateCategories(List<int> elements,
             return true;
         }
 
+                /// <summary>
+        /// 
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="elements"></param>
+        /// <param name="error"></param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        public static bool CreateCategories(Span<int> elements, 
+            [NotNullWhen(true)] out Categories? categories,
+            [NotNullWhen(false)] ref string? error)
+        {
+            var list = new List<int>(elements.ToArray());
+            list.Sort();
+            for (int i = 1; i < list.Count; i++)
+            {
+                if(list[i - 1] == list[i])
+                {
+                    error = $"Found a duplicate category {list[i]}!";
+                    categories = null;
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+            categories = new Categories(list);
+            return true;
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Create a SparseMap from a list of elements
         /// </summary>

From e88f4db08ca2020dc9eb7ff4d96d48766697f01b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: James Vaughan <James.Vaughan@utoronto.ca>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:58:12 -0400
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Added better commenting

---
 src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs | 22 +++++++++++-----------
 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs b/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs
index ec4e7e3..a5bf743 100644
--- a/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs
+++ b/src/TMG-Framework/Data/Categories.cs
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ public sealed class Categories : IEnumerable<int>
         private readonly List<int> _elements;
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// 
+        /// Create a Categories instance from a list of elements
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="elements"></param>
-        /// <param name="error"></param>
-        /// <returns></returns>
+        /// <param name="elements">The list of elements to use, values will be sorted, any duplicates will return in failure.</param>
+        /// <param name="error">The error message if creation fails</param>
+        /// <returns>True if creation succeeds, false otherwise</returns>
         public static bool CreateCategories(List<int> elements, 
             [NotNullWhen(true)] out Categories? categories,
             [NotNullWhen(false)] ref string? error)
@@ -66,12 +66,12 @@ public static bool CreateCategories(List<int> elements,
             return true;
         }
 
-                /// <summary>
-        /// 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Create a Categories instance from a list of elements
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="elements"></param>
-        /// <param name="error"></param>
-        /// <returns></returns>
+        /// <param name="elements">The list of elements to use, values will be sorted, any duplicates will return in failure.</param>
+        /// <param name="error">The error message if creation fails</param>
+        /// <returns>True if creation succeeds, false otherwise</returns>
         public static bool CreateCategories(Span<int> elements, 
             [NotNullWhen(true)] out Categories? categories,
             [NotNullWhen(false)] ref string? error)
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ public static bool CreateCategories(Span<int> elements,
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Create a SparseMap from a list of elements
+        /// Create a Categories instance from a list of elements
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="elements">The sorted elements to use</param>
+        /// <param name="elements">The sorted list of elements to use</param>
         private Categories(List<int> elements)
         {
             if(elements == null)