I need help sorting a array of strings in abc from a file

[cjgarcia]

This is the code that my teacher provided us with to use in our program. He said we just now need to modify it and change it so it can handle strings instead of integers. I already have the sort() working the way it needs to be. The problem is the findSmallestLoc method. How do I compare the strings of the array that is in a file to go into abc order?

//Sorts the array to make sure its in abc order
	static void sort (Word list [], int num) {   
	    Word temp;
	    int position;
	    for (int loop = 0; loop < num - 1; loop++) {
	        position = findSmallestLoc (list, loop, num - 1);
	        if (position != loop) {
	            temp = list[position];
	            list[position] = list[loop];
	            list[loop] = temp;
	        }
	    }
	}

static int findSmallestLoc (Word list[], int start, int stop) {
	    int loc = start;
	    for (int pos = start + 1; pos <= stop; pos++) //right here is where I need help to be more specific
	        if (list [pos] < list [loc])
	    loc = pos;
	    return loc;
	}

[DarrylBurke]

Have you gone through the API for String? Did you find any method that could be useful in comparing Strings?

db

[cjgarcia]

I know I have to use the compareTo method. What I'm more confuse on is getting the string out of the array to then compare it to the other strings in the array.
This is what I have now but I dont know if it's right.

static int findSmallestLoc (Word list[], int start, int stop) {
	    int loc = start;
		 String first = "";
		 String last = "";
		 for (int i = 0; i < list.length - 1; i++) {
		 	first = list[i];
			last = list[i+1];
	    	
			for (int pos = start + 1; pos <= stop; pos++)
	      	if (first.compareTo(last))
	    			loc = pos;
	    			return loc;
	}			
}

[JosAH]

Does your code compile? I bet it doesn't because the compareTo( ... ) method returns an int, not a boolean value. Read the API description for that method again. Oh, and your indentation stinks; fix that.

kind regards,

Jos

[cjgarcia]

Well in the original post right here

if (list [pos] < list [loc])

I get a binary error cause its comparing integers and not strings
error: bad operand types for binary operator '<'

[cjgarcia]

nvm i fix it