Sorting an array

Question

I wrote this program for sorting an array of type String alphabetical without using compareTo() method so I am saying that if you can find errors in my program please tell me I will try to fix it.

class some{
 public static void main(String[] args) {
 String array[]={"names here"};
 System.out.print("before:");
 for (int i=0 ;i<array.length;i++ ) 
 System.out.print(array[i]+" ");
 array = SortA(array);
 System.out.println();
 System.out.print("after:");
 for (int i=0 ;i<array.length;i++ ) 
 System.out.print(array[i]+" ");
}//end of main method
 public static int getSmallestRange(String[] array){
 int range = array[0].length()-1;
 for (int i =0;i<array.length ;i++ ) {
 if(range>array[i].length()-1){
 range = array[i].length()-1;
 }
 }
 return range ;
}
 public static String[] SortA(String [] array){
 String tmp="";
 int index = 0 ;
 for (int i =0;i<array.length ;i++ ) 
 for (int j = i+1;j<array.length ;j++ ) {
 if(array[i].charAt(index)>array[j].charAt(index)){
 tmp = array[i];
 array[i] = array[j];
 array[j] = tmp ;
 }//end of if
 }//end of loop
 index++;
 for (int x =0;x<array.length-1 ;x++ ){
 for (int y =x+1;y<array.length ;y++ ) {
 if(array[x].charAt(0)==array[y].charAt(0)){
 if(array[x].charAt(index)>array[y].charAt(index)){
 tmp = array[x];
 array[x] = array[y];
 array[y] = tmp ;
 }
 else if(array[x].charAt(index)==array[y].charAt(index)){
 if(index<getSmallestRange(array))
 index++;
 }
 }//end of if
 }//end of loop
 }
 return array;
 }//end of method
}

• bowmore: Currently it's incorrect, given an initial array of {"dds", "dda"}, it fails to sort them properly.
• Michael Zedeler: First off, you have to properly format your code. The indentation is off and very confusing.
• Bobby: @MichaelZedeler: I think checking and correcting usage of whitespace is appropriate for a code review. I mean that no properly formatted code in here is not a "problem", as we are here to point these things out. Just pointing that out because you said "first off, you have to..." which makes it sound like it is a criteria (which I disagree with).
• Michael Zedeler: In this context, I mean that formatting is first priority over everything else. Learning to program requires that you read and re-read your own code over and over again, so not formatting it right is really getting in the way of ever getting better.
• Bobby: @MichaelZedeler: I completely agree with that!

Answer 1

First off, your use of whitespace is a mess, fix it. Press "Format Code" in your favorite IDE or do it manually.

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class some{

• The Java Naming Conventions say that class names should be UpperCamelCase.
• Use a visibility modificator for clearness (private, public).

---

String array[]={"names here"};

Use descriptive variable names, like sourceArray or unsortedArray.

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for (int i=0 ;i<array.length;i++ )

• Use appropriate variable names. This is a little bit unpopular with most people, but I prefer to use descriptive names even for such simple loops (int idx).

• As said before, your use pf whitespace is very confusing:

  for (int idx = 0; idx < array.length; idx++) {
  

• Use appropriate loops, in this case a for-each loop:

  for (String item : array) {
  

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String tmp="";
int index = 0 ;

Declaring variables once and reusing them through out whole function, especially larger functions, is bad. Declare variables where you need them and name them appropriately, like this:

String swapTemp = array[i];
array[i] = array[j];
array[j] = swapTemp;

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 }//end of if
 }//end of loop

If code is correctly formatted, short and precise (only do one function per function), such comments are absolutely unnecessary.

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Consider using the Java Documentation feature.