array_multisort SORT_ASC SORT_REGULAR

searain

Will this sort return the results as A a B b C c ... Z z or it will return A B C ... Z a b c ... z?

It makes sense in the computer coding that the sort will be A B C .. Z a b c ... z. Many databaes default it to this sort order.

If that is the case, how can I find a easy way to make the sort order like A a B b C c ... Z z whick is the real life order?

Thanks!

FrozNic

k, i just did a test on this :S... and i can't explain it lol
i inserted 6 dummy examples into a table called test...
in the order i entered them :
a
A
B
b
c
D

i did a query sorting by asc
and the return was:
a
A
B
b
c
D
which is very strange because it doesn't distinguish between upper-case and lower-case...

same with desc just backwards...
that's in mysql that that happend...
like i said, it doesn't make sense to me why it would sort this way, but it did lol lemee know if u find something out that i don't know

tsinka

Hi,

I think it would sort it A B C D E F ... a b c d e f ....

But you can try to write a custom function to sort an array like this. I tested it with some random strings but you might need to test it further. As far as I can see it should work. This might be done in an easier way, but at least it should work.

<?PHP
function deepCompare($a,$b,$len) {
    for ($i=0;$i<strlen($a);$i++) {
        // walk through the strings

    if ($a[$i] != $b[$i]) {
        if (strtolower($a[$i]) != strtolower($b[$i])) {
            // really different characters, so we mustn't care about the case
            return (strtolower($a[$i]) < strtolower($b[$i])) ? -1 : 1;
        }

        // same character, different case
        return ($a[$i]<$b[$i]) ? -1 : 1;
    }
}

// one string is a substring of the other so we return a value depending on
// the length differences
return (strlen($a) < strlen($b)) ? -1 : 1;
}

function mySort($a,$b) {
    if (strlen($a) != strlen($b))
    {
        // the strings are not of the same length, we must
        // look deeper in them
        return (strlen($a) < strlen($b)) ? deepCompare($a,$b,strlen($a)) : deepCompare($a,$b,strlen($b));
    }

if (strtolower($a) != strtolower($b)) {
    // same length but different strings so we should
    // deepCompare them
    return deepCompare($a,$b,strlen($a));
}
if ($a==$b) {
    // same strings
    return 0;
} else {
    //same strings but different case
    for ($i=0;$i<strlen($a);$i++) {
       if ($a[$i] != $b[$i]) {
           return ($a[$i] < $b[$i]) ? -1 : 1;
       }
    }

    // this return shouldn't be needed but to make sure...
    return 0;
}
}
$ar = array("A","Az","AZ","z","B","e","a","E","AzFEWF","azFEWF","efFd","Vds","eFFD","feegERD","Vdd","vDd","vvv");
usort($ar,"mySort");

for ($i=0;$i<count($ar);$i++) {
    echo $ar[$i]."<br>\n";
}
?>

tsinka

This function sorts complete strings in the order you mentioned but it should also work if the complete Array contains only one character in each field. If you only need to sort strings that are one character long you can do it in a much easier way with usort 🙂

tsinka

Something like this:

<?PHP
function mySort($a,$b) {
   if ($a == $b)
      return 0;

   if (strtolower($a) != strtolower($b)) {
       return (strtolower($a[$i]) < strtolower($b[$i])) ? -1 : 1;
   }

   return ($a < $b) ? -1 : 1;
}
$ar = array("A","e","F","g","C","R","S","t","s","L","v","Z","b","d");
usort($ar,"mySort");

for ($i=0;$i<count($ar);$i++) {
    echo $ar[$i]."<br>\n";
}
?>

FrozNic

oi, i'm retarded 🙂 i thought u meant a query sort right out of the table, completely missed that one 🙂

searain

Froznic, results directly from the table and get A a B b instead of A B a b?

And you are using MySQL and that is your sort order directly from the database table?

I am using Interbase/Firebird, when I get it directly from table, I got A B a b instead of A a B b?

Could someone explain to me why MySQL and Interbase use different sort rule here?

Is there a general SQL standard for this?

Thanks!

FrozNic

like i said, it completely threw me for a loop 🙂 the simple way to solve the problem is with tsinka's SWEET little proggy 🙂 thx for that btw. but, other then that, i'm to a loss on why it sorts the way it does.

searain

tsinka, how about this approach?

$array1={Apple, adapter, asp, AAA, ape};

for ($index=0, $index<count($array1); $index++)
{
$temp_array1[]=strtoupper($array1[$index]);
}

array_multisort($temp_array1, $array1);

basically walk through array1 and create another array called temp_array1 with all the upper case value of array1's value.

and then multisort it based on the new created temp array, $temp_array1 .

will that work?

tsinka

I tested your code and the output was:

AAA
adapter
ape
Apple
asp

It doesn't seem to be case sensitive,
but it is sorted, seems like I didn't understand exactly what you wanted 🙂

searain

Sorry, I didn't make my question clear.

That "not sensitive" sort order was I wanted.

If default from the database

the sort order will be

Apple
Ape
aaa
ape

etc.

But in the real life, general people will expect to see

aaa
Ape
ape
Apple

My sort approach will give

either

aaa
Ape
ape
Apple

aaa
ape
Ape
Apple

Not perfect, because cannot always put Ape before ape, but I think I can live with that.

I didn't try your approach yet. if it can return

aaa
Ape
ape
Apple

that will be perfect. always put Ape before ape.

Thanks.

I am still wondering why FrozNic get the not case sensitive sort order directly from his mysql database. In my knowledge, the default sort order from database will be A B ... Z and then a b ... z.

Will it be possible that his MySQL collation is already specially set up so his sort order is not case sensitive?

Thanks!

FrozNic

i dont know why it did it lol, but, honestly i don't care all that much 🙂 it does what i want it to, even if that means makin my own sorts 🙂

tsinka

Hi,

my previously posted code doesn't exactly do what you want, but this one should and is much shorter:

<?PHP
function mySort($a,$b) {
    if ($a == $b)
        return 0;
    if (strtolower($a) < strtolower($b))
      return -1;
    if (strtolower($a) > strtolower($b))
      return 1;
    if (strtolower($a) == strtolower($b)) {
      for ($i=0;$i<strlen($a);$i++) {
        if ($a[$i] < $b[$i]) return -1;
        if ($a[$i] > $b[$i]) return 1;
      }
      return 0;
    }
}
$ar = array("Ape","aaa","apple","apeApple","ApeApp","apeApple","ApeApp","apeApp","ApeApple","applE","Apple","ape","AAA","Appleape");
usort($ar,"mySort");

for ($i=0;$i<count($ar);$i++) {
    echo $ar[$i]."<br>\n";
}
?>

We only care about the order in which we sort the strings if the strings match but have different cases. Then we check that the string that comes first with a capital letter will be chosen first.

When the strings differ at all the capital or not capital char examination doesn't make any sense since we want the shorter one to be displayed first. To make sure that the sort works correct we will do a case insensitive comparison if the strings are not the same.
I tested it and it seems to work but my brain starts to spin a little bit so you might want to try it yourself 🙂

searain

tsinka:

thanks! you should contribute this to php classes or some sort of the php library web sites.

i have been searching for the solution for a long time. no luck until now. i am sure many people need it.

thanks again.

searain