diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.C
index a55f68a425..41eb798407 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.C
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Foam::IOobjectList::IOobjectList
         }
     }
 
-    // Create list file names in directory
+    // Create a list of file names in this directory
     fileNameList ObjectNames =
         readDir(db.path(newInstance, db.dbDir()/local), fileName::FILE);
 
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ Foam::IOobject* Foam::IOobjectList::lookup(const word& name) const
     {
         if (IOobject::debug)
         {
-            Info<< "IOobjectList::lookup : found " << name
-                << endl;
+            Info<< "IOobjectList::lookup : found "
+                << name << endl;
         }
 
         return const_cast<IOobject*>(*iter);
@@ -140,8 +140,8 @@ Foam::IOobject* Foam::IOobjectList::lookup(const word& name) const
     {
         if (IOobject::debug)
         {
-            Info<< "IOobjectList::lookup : could not find " << name
-                << endl;
+            Info<< "IOobjectList::lookup : could not find "
+                << name << endl;
         }
 
         return NULL;
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ Foam::IOobject* Foam::IOobjectList::lookup(const word& name) const
 
 Foam::IOobjectList Foam::IOobjectList::lookupClass(const word& ClassName) const
 {
-    IOobjectList IOobjectsOfClass(size());
+    IOobjectList objectsOfClass(size());
 
     for
     (
@@ -165,34 +165,26 @@ Foam::IOobjectList Foam::IOobjectList::lookupClass(const word& ClassName) const
             if (IOobject::debug)
             {
                 Info<< "IOobjectList::lookupClass : found "
-                    << iter()->name()
-                    << endl;
+                    << iter.key() << endl;
             }
 
-            IOobjectsOfClass.insert(iter()->name(), new IOobject(*iter()));
+            objectsOfClass.insert(iter.key(), new IOobject(*iter()));
         }
     }
 
-    return IOobjectsOfClass;
+    return objectsOfClass;
 }
 
 
 Foam::wordList Foam::IOobjectList::names() const
 {
-    wordList objectNames(size());
+    return HashPtrTable<IOobject>::toc();
+}
 
-    label count = 0;
-    for
-    (
-        HashPtrTable<IOobject>::const_iterator iter = begin();
-        iter != end();
-        ++iter
-    )
-    {
-        objectNames[count++] = iter()->name();
-    }
 
-    return objectNames;
+Foam::wordList Foam::IOobjectList::sortedNames() const
+{
+    return HashPtrTable<IOobject>::sortedToc();
 }
 
 
@@ -210,7 +202,7 @@ Foam::wordList Foam::IOobjectList::names(const word& ClassName) const
     {
         if (iter()->headerClassName() == ClassName)
         {
-            objectNames[count++] = iter()->name();
+            objectNames[count++] = iter.key();
         }
     }
 
@@ -220,4 +212,13 @@ Foam::wordList Foam::IOobjectList::names(const word& ClassName) const
 }
 
 
+Foam::wordList Foam::IOobjectList::sortedNames(const word& ClassName) const
+{
+    wordList sortedLst = names(ClassName);
+    sort(sortedLst);
+
+    return sortedLst;
+}
+
+
 // ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.H b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.H
index 71c63f9d38..fc6034115f 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/IOobjectList/IOobjectList.H
@@ -84,23 +84,29 @@ public:
 
     // Member functions
 
-        //- Add an IOobject to list
+        //- Add an IOobject to the list
         bool add(IOobject&);
 
-        //- Remove an IOobject from list
+        //- Remove an IOobject from the list
         bool remove(IOobject&);
 
         //- Lookup a given name and return IOobject ptr if found else NULL
         IOobject* lookup(const word& name) const;
 
-        //- Return the list for all IOobjects of given class
+        //- Return the list for all IOobjects of a given class
         IOobjectList lookupClass(const word& className) const;
 
         //- Return the list of names of the IOobjects
         wordList names() const;
 
+        //- Return the sorted list of names of the IOobjects
+        wordList sortedNames() const;
+
         //- Return the list of names of the IOobjects of given class
         wordList names(const word& className) const;
+
+        //- Return the sorted list of names of the IOobjects of given class
+        wordList sortedNames(const word& className) const;
 };