CODE: Generic Sort Routine

[Kamilche]

I've written a generic sort routine that will sort dictionaries,
lists, or tuples, either by a specified key or by value.

Comments welcome!

import types

def sort(container, key = None, ascending = True):
' Sort lists or dictionaries by the specified key'
t = type(container)
if t in (types.ListType , types.TupleType ):
thelist = container
else:
thelist = container.value s()
if key:
sorted = zip([getattr(item, key) for item in thelist],
thelist)
else:
sorted = list(thelist)
sorted.sort()
if ascending == False:
sorted.reverse( )
if key:
return [x[1] for x in sorted]
else:
return sorted

class simple:
name = 'simple'
def __init__(self, word):
self.word = word
def __repr__(self):
return str(self.__dict __)

def test():
# Set up the test data
line = 'now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of
their country.'
words = line.split(' ')
compareto = line.split(' ')
compareto.sort( )
assert words != compareto
objects = []
for word in words:
o = simple(word)
objects.append( o)

# Sort a list of words
test1 = sort(words)
assert test1 == compareto

# Sort a list of objects
lst = sort(objects, 'word')
test2 = []
for item in lst:
test2.append(it em.word)
assert(test2 == compareto)

# Sort a tuple of objects
tup = tuple(objects)
lst = sort(tup, 'word')
test3 = []
for item in lst:
test3.append(it em.word)
assert(test3 == compareto)

# Sort a dict of objects
d = {}
ctr = 1
for item in objects:
d[ctr] = item
ctr += 1
lst = sort(d, 'word')
test4 = []
for item in lst:
test4.append(it em.word)
assert(test4 == compareto)

# Reverse sort a dict of objects
d = {}
ctr = 1
for item in objects:
d[ctr] = item
ctr += 1
lst = sort(d, 'word', False)
test4 = []
for item in lst:
test4.append(it em.word)
compareto.rever se()
assert(test4 == compareto)

# Sort a list of numbers
lst = [5, 9, 3, 54, 6, 65.7, 2.4, 9999]
lst = sort(lst)
print lst

# Done
print "All tests passed!"

if __name__ == "__main__":
test()

[Andrew Henshaw]

Kamilche wrote:

I've written a generic sort routine that will sort dictionaries,
lists, or tuples, either by a specified key or by value.

Comments welcome!
....snip... if key:
sorted = zip([getattr(item, key) for item in thelist],
thelist)
else:
sorted = list(thelist)

....snip...

I'd change that 'if key:' line to 'if key is not None:', so that you could
sort on other non-True values.

Andy