_arraysort acting weirdly, not sorting properly

[cyxstudio]

I wrote a script that gives me the below data

 

Local $agent[0][2]

;--------------scrapping data and end up with the 2D array as below -------------------

[68, 2], [126, 7], [181, 7], [11, 8]]

but when i sort it with 

_ArraySort($agent, 0, 0, 0, 0)

this is what i got 

 

why is 68 at the bottom? 68 should be in between 11 and 126.

isnt it suppose to sort based on col 0 ?

[Melba23]

cyxstudio,

As has been explained many times the _ArraySort  function sorts alphabetically on strings and numerically on numbers - you appear to have the elements stored as strings. Loop through the array and convert them all to numbers (using Number or Int) and you will get the sort order you require.

M23

[FrancescoDiMuro]

@cyxstudio
This should do the trick:

#include <Array.au3>

Global $2D_Array[4][2] = [[68, 2], [126, 7], [181, 7], [11, 8]]


_ArraySort($2D_Array, 0, 0, 0, 0)
If @error Then Exit ConsoleWrite("Error while sorting the array. Error: " & @error & @CRLF)

_ArrayDisplay($2D_Array)

And, as Melba23 stated, if you are storing string elements in your array, you should convert them into number before doing the sort.

[pixelsearch]

Also, as explained in the help file :
"In AutoIt there is only one datatype called a Variant. A variant can contain numeric or string data and decides how to use the data depending on the situation it is being used in. For example, if you try and multiply two variants they will be treated as numbers, if you try and concatenate (join) two variants they will be treated as strings." etc... etc...

Anyone knows who decided this when AutoIt was created ?
I mean, is it common in a programming language to have only one datatype ?
Thanks for your explanations 

 

[Melba23]

pixelsearch,

It was a design choice by Jon when he first wrote the language - I believe it was for simplicity of use for inexperienced users - and it is certainly too late to change it now. To try and prevent confusion we recommend that people name variables using a form of Hungarian notation (as explained here) so as to remind them of what exactly is stored in each one - but we still get many queries about sorting and comparison problems where datatype mismatch means that the result is not what is expected.

M23

 

[pixelsearch]

Thanks Melba for explaining, Jon can be proud of what he achieved, with the help of all of you
Wish I was with Jon when he created the "ternary" operator, I'd fight him to find an easier syntax, without these required : ? and parentheses everywhere, you better not forget them 

I remember in Foxpro, we had a function that did same, with easier syntax, named iif() , pronounced "immediate if", it went like this :

iif(exprL, expr1, expr2)
If exprL was evaluated true, then result was expr1, if not, expr2

Edited October 27, 2018 by pixelsearch
Oops, made the mistake again, ternary requires ? : and not : ?

[Melba23]

pixelsearch,

We are getting very much off-topic, but it was not Jon who introduced the ternary operator - that was trancexx when she was a developer some years ago. I must say I have no particular problem with the syntax - nor the parentheses, as although they are not always necessary I find them useful to delineate the various sections.

M23

[mikell]

1 hour ago, Melba23 said:

As has been explained many times ...

So couldn't it be a good idea to add one single line in the help file to mention this ?
" convert elements to numbers to sort numerically" ... or so

pixelsearch,
Formerly the _Iif() function was present in AutoIt.
Replacing this func by an operator seems relevant to me, and I - personally - find the syntax very understandable 

[Melba23]

mikell,

I was just thinking the same thing - I will add something to the Help file for the next release.

M23

Edit: And done.

Edited October 27, 2018 by Melba23