Sorting Arrays

[Zak Tacc]

I'm using the following code to sort a single dimensional array of strings, but any time it encounters a number, the sort resets itself. What is wrong with my code?

    public static void selectionSort(String[] data) {   //sorts the elements in an array
        for (int i = 0; i < data.length - 1; ++i) {
            int guess = i;  //guess the location of the ith smallest element
            for (int j = i + 1; j < data.length; ++j) {
                int comparison = data[j].compareTo(data[guess]);  //compares
                if (comparison < 0) {
                    guess = j;  //changes guess to index of smaller element
                }
            }
            String remember = data[i];  //swaps elements (guess is now correct)
            data[i] = data[guess];
            data[guess] = remember;
        }
    }

After sorting, the array becomes something like this:

apple
bun
cactus
elephant
zebra
13
android
babylon
zen
4
andy
band

and so on and so forth. Thanks

[pete reisinger]

Hi, you should use collection - they do the sorting for you (if they are sorted).
Check sorted set, sorted map etc.
collections

[pete reisinger]

I just checked your code and it outputs this:
13
4
android
andy
apple
babylon
band
bun
cactus
elephant
zebra
zen
The only thing I changed is method signature:
public static String[] selectionSort(String[] data) {

then of course I added return data; at the end.

If I output the array:
selectionSort(data);
for(String x : data) {
System.out.println(x);
}

it outputs the above result