sorting integers in order lowest to highest java

Question

These numbers are stored in the same integer variable. How would I go about sorting the integers in order lowest to highest?

11367
11358
11421
11530
11491
11218
11789

Solution 1

There are two options, really:

1. Use standard collections, as explained by Shakedown
2. Use Arrays.sort

E.g.,

int[] ints = {11367, 11358, 11421, 11530, 11491, 11218, 11789};
Arrays.sort(ints);
System.out.println(Arrays.asList(ints));

That of course assumes that you already have your integers as an array. If you need to parse those first, look for String.split and Integer.parseInt.

Solution 2

You can put them into a list and then sort them using their natural ordering, like so:

final List<Integer> list = Arrays.asList(11367, 11358, 11421, 11530, 11491, 11218, 11789);
Collections.sort( list );
// Use the sorted list

If the numbers are stored in the same variable, then you'll have to somehow put them into a List and then call sort, like so:

final List<Integer> list = new ArrayList<Integer>();
list.add( myVariable );
// Change myVariable to another number...
list.add( myVariable );
// etc...

Collections.sort( list );
// Use the sorted list

• Collections.sort( List )

Solution 3

Well, if you want to do it using an algorithm. There are a plethora of sorting algorithms out there. If you aren't concerned too much about efficiency and more about readability and understandability. I recommend Insertion Sort. Here is the psudo code, it is trivial to translate this into java.

begin
    for i := 1 to length(A)-1 do
    begin
        value := A[i];
        j := i - 1;
        done := false;
        repeat
            { To sort in descending order simply reverse
              the operator i.e. A[j] < value }
            if A[j] > value then
            begin
                A[j + 1] := A[j];
                j := j - 1;
                if j < 0 then
                    done := true;
            end
            else
                done := true;
        until done;
        A[j + 1] := value;
    end;
end;

Solution 4

For sorting narrow range of integers try Counting sort, which has a complexity of O(range + n), where n is number of items to be sorted. If you'd like to sort something not discrete use optimal n*log(n) algorithms (quicksort, heapsort, mergesort). Merge sort is also used in a method already mentioned by other responses Arrays.sort. There is no simple way how to recommend some algorithm or function call, because there are dozens of special cases, where you would use some sort, but not the other.

So please specify the exact purpose of your application (to learn something (well - start with the insertion sort or bubble sort), effectivity for integers (use counting sort), effectivity and reusability for structures (use n*log(n) algorithms), or zou just want it to be somehow sorted - use Arrays.sort :-)). If you'd like to sort string representations of integers, than u might be interrested in radix sort....

Solution 5

import java.util.Arrays;

public class sortNumber {

public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Our array contains 13 elements 
    int[] array = {9,  238,  248,  138,  118,  45,  180,  212,  103,  230,  104,  41,  49}; 

    Arrays.sort(array); 

    System.out.printf(" The result : %s", Arrays.toString(array)); 
  }
}

View more solutions