Alpha sorting an array?

[zero2130]

How can I do this?

I have an array that I want to be sorted alphabetically. Is there an easy way to do this or do you know of/have you written a function that'll do this?

Thanks

 

[Guest_imported]

There are a few traditional algorithms ( not that Al Gore has rhythm ) for performing such a sort, such as the bubble sort, etc. It would probably require slightly less code ( and would be a lot sexier ) to load the data into an XML Document object and then perform a select nodes with a sort applied.

Does anybody miss perl hash tables yet?

JAC

 

[wrbodine]

Does Jac or anyone have an example of loading the data into an XML document? I think the sort part in XML will be easy but I've never yet loaded data from VBScript code into an XML document....

Thanx,
Ray

 

[dilettante]

Take a look here:

http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/bvo/deliveries.html

There is a nice VBScript sort all ready to include using a <script> tag.

 

[Parke]

Why not load the array into a disconnected recordset and sort?

 

[wrbodine]

We've been wanting to start using XML here, so I thought it would be a good chance to get my feet wet. I'm using a bubble sort for now, but am intrigued by the recordset idea as well, since I've never heard of doing that....

 

[Parke]

Here is an example of using a recordset to sort.

option explicit

Dim myArray
Dim rst
Dim s
Dim xitem

myArray = Array(&quot;Parke Kuntz&quot;, &quot;Jane Doe&quot;, &quot;Mary Smith&quot;, &quot;John Cole&quot;, &quot;May Abbot&quot;,&quot;John Doy&quot;, &quot;Mary Scale&quot

' create a recordset
Set rst = createObject(&quot;ADODB.Recordset&quot

' create/append the fields to the recordset
rst.Fields.Append &quot;fullname&quot;,129,50 'AD_Char = 129 and character length is 50
rst.Fields.Append &quot;fname&quot;,129,50
rst.Fields.Append &quot;lname&quot;,129,50

' open the recordset
rst.Open
' insert the array into the recordset
For Each xitem in myArray
rst.AddNew
rst.Fields(&quot;fullname&quot = xitem
' extract the first name from fullname
rst.Fields(&quot;fname&quot = Left(rst.Fields(&quot;fullname&quot, Instr(rst.fields(&quot;fullname&quot,&quot; &quot -1)
' extract the last name from fullname
rst.Fields(&quot;lname&quot = Right(rst.Fields(&quot;fullname&quot, (Len(rst.Fields(&quot;fullname&quot)-Instr(rst.Fields(&quot;fullname&quot,&quot; &quot))
rst.Movenext
Next

rst.moveFirst
' choose the field to sort on
rst.Sort = &quot;lname&quot;

s = &quot;sorted by last name&quot;
Do until rst.EOF
s = s & vbcrlf & rst.Fields(&quot;fullname&quot
rst.MoveNext
Loop

msgbox s

s = &quot;sorted by first name&quot;
rst.MoveFirst
' choose the order of the fields you want to sort on
rst.Sort = &quot;fname, lname&quot;
Do until rst.EOF
s = s & vbcrlf & rst.Fields(&quot;fullname&quot
rst.MoveNext
Loop

msgbox s

Hope this helps,

 

[jbaywatch]

Wow, not to be argumentative or disrespectful to anyone. But isn't both of those methods (XML and RS) a waste of server cycles?

I just don't understand why anyone would go to such lengths as to spawn new processes to sort an array in a production environment.

I would use the bubbleSort, XML and ADO have their places and IMHO, this isn't it.

Fo the XML method I am guessing you would have to actually create 2 instances of The MSXML parser. One for the DOM and one for the XSL transform that will actually perform the sort.

Just my 2 cents.

-J

 

[Parke]

If all that was wanted was a simple sort, I would agree with you. With recordsets, one can sort on different columns by priority simply by filling in .sort = &quot;field1, field2,field3...&quot; This is the second sort. Doing this is more difficult using sorting routines.