My sort function

Let's Dive Into Writing Our Custom sort Function!

Our function will have the same prototype with the other except the name of course 😅. We’ll create a sorting function similar to our previous custom functions, just with a new name and a little extra logic. Here’s how the prototype looks:

function mySort(array, sortCallback) {
    // Implementation
}

For the implementation, we will need a sorting algorithm that will sort the array depending on the output of the sortCallback function. while the purpose of this tutorial is not to learn sorting algorithms, we’ll use a basic sorting algorithm that will allow us to achieve our goal.

The principe of bubble sort algorithm

To sort the array, we’ll use a basic but effective sorting algorithm called Bubble Sort. While not the most efficient for large datasets, it's perfect for demonstrating how sorting works.

Bubble Sort is one of the simplest sorting algorithms. It compares adjacent elements and swaps them if they’re in the wrong order. The process repeats until the entire list is sorted. Here’s how it works:

1. Compare the first two elements of the list. If the first element is greater than the second, swap them(exchange their position).

2. Move to the next pair of elements and repeat step 1.

3. Continue this process until the entire list has been traversed.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 until the list is fully sorted.

The algorithm gets its name from the way the smaller elements "bubble up" to the top of the list, while the larger elements "sink down" to the bottom.

Check out these resources for a better understanding of the bubble sorting algorithm

• Bubble Sort - Data Structure and Algorithm Tutorials - GeeksforGeeks

• Bubble-sort with Hungarian ("Csángó") folk dance - Youtube

Implementation in mySort function

Let's continue our implementation of mySort. According to the steps we enumerate, we could have the following implementation

function mySort(array, callback) {
    let sorted;

    do {
        sorted = true;
        for (let i = 0; i < array.length - 1; i++) {
            if (callback(array[i], array[i + 1]) > 0) {
                let temp = array[i];
                array[i] = array[i + 1];
                array[i + 1] = temp;
                sorted = false
            }
        }
    } while (!sorted);
}

What’s Happening Here?

1. Initial Setup

   • We initialize a boolean variable sorted to true at the start of the loop. This flag helps us track whether any swaps were made during a pass through the array. If no swaps are made, the array is fully sorted, and we can stop the process.

2. Iterating through the Array

   • Inside the for loop, we iterate through the array from the first to the second-to-last element (i < array.length - 1). We do this because we are comparing each element with its next neighbor.

3. Comparing Adjacent Elements

   • The heart of the sorting process is the comparison between array[i] and array[i + 1]. The sortCallback function determines how these two elements should be ordered. If the callback returns a value greater than 0, it means array[i] should be placed after array[i + 1], so we swap them.

4. Swapping Elements

   • If a swap is necessary, we temporarily store array[i] in a variable temp, then replace array[i] with array[i + 1], and finally put the original array[i] value (stored in temp) into array[i + 1].

5. Tracking Changes

   • When a swap occurs, it means the array is not fully sorted, so we set sorted = false to signal that we need another pass through the array.

6. Repeating Until Sorted

   • The loop continues until a full pass through the array results in no swaps, meaning the sorted flag remains true, and the array is fully sorted.

Handling Different Sorting Orders

With this structure, our mySort function can handle both ascending and descending orders or even custom sorting orders depending on how the sortCallback is defined.

For example, to sort an array of numbers in ascending order, you could call mySort like this:

const numbers = [5, 3, 8, 1];
mySort(numbers, (a, b) => a - b);

In this case, the callback function (a, b) => a - b ensures that the smaller number will "bubble" to the left side of the array, and the larger number will "sink" to the right.

For descending order, simply reverse the callback:

mySort(numbers, (a, b) => b - a);

Now, the larger numbers will rise to the top, and the smaller numbers will sink down.

Testing with Other Data Types

The great thing about this approach is its flexibility. You can easily sort arrays of strings, objects, or any other data type, as long as the callback function defines the appropriate comparison logic.

For instance, sorting an array of strings alphabetically:

const fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'orange'];
mySort(fruits, (a, b) => a.localeCompare(b));

Or sorting an array of objects based on a specific property:

const users = [
    {username: 'john', age: 30},
    {username: 'doe', age: 26},
    {username: 'steeve', age: 29},
    {username: 'lorent', age: 24}
];
mySort(users, (a, b) => a.age - b.age);

This is the beauty of using callbacks in our mySort function, it can handle a wide variety of sorting scenarios!

That’s it for now! Give your new mySort function a spin, try different callbacks, and see how powerful custom sorting can be.

Final Words

Bubble sort is super easy to understand, which makes it a great place to start learning sorting algorithms. But here’s the thing, it’s not the fastest for big arrays. There is more efficient sorting algorithms like quicksort or mergesort that are much faster for large datasets. But mastering bubble sort first will give you the foundation to tackle those more advanced techniques.

Now it's your turn to give the mySort function a try! Experiment with different callbacks and see how powerful custom sorting can be. Once you’ve got it down, challenge yourself by implementing more efficient sorting methods. Here are some resources:

Sorting Algorithms - GeeksforGeeks

(23) hungarian dance - sorting algorithms - YouTube

Happy coding! 🚀😀