Question

Python program

- Write a Python program, in a file called sortList.py, which, given a list of names, sorts the names into alphabetical order. Use a one dimensional array to hold the list of names. To do the sorting use a simple sorting algorithm that repeatedly takes an element from the unsorted list and puts it in alphabetical order within the same list. Initially the entire list is unsorted. As each element is placed in alphabetical order, the elements in the portion where the data is in alphabetical order is referred to as the sorted portion of the list and the rest of the list is referred to as the unsorted portion. The process of moving an element from the unsorted portion of the list to the sorted portion of the list is repeated until the entire list is sorted.

Answer 1

Code for the program:

#find the smallest alphabetically string in ls starting from j
def findNext(ls,j):
n = len(ls)
idx = j
for i in range(j,n):
if ls[i]<ls[idx]:
idx = i
return idx
  
def putInOrder(ls,start,idx):
#swap the strings at start and the idx
ls[start],ls[idx] = ls[idx],ls[start]

#ls is out list, initialize it
ls = ["Zita","Henny","Benny","Harold","Danny","Penny"]

#sort the list
n = len(ls)
for i in range(n):
idx = findNext(ls,i)
putInOrder(ls,i,idx)

#print the list
print(ls)

Output for given testcase:

['Benny', 'Danny', 'Harold', 'Henny', 'Penny', 'Zita']

  

Answer 2

def findNext(ls,j):
 n = len(ls)
  idx = j 
  for i in range(j,n): 
  if ls[i]<ls[idx]: 
  idx = i 
  return idx
def putInOrder(ls,start,idx):
   ls[start],ls[idx] = ls[idx],ls[start] 
ls = ["Zita","Henny","Benny","Harold","Danny","Penny"]
n = len(ls)
for i in range(n): 
idx = findNext(ls,i) 
putInOrder(ls,i,idx) 
 print(ls)