So I have this Perl code:
$array->[0][0] = "cc";
$array->[0][1] = "3";
$array->[1][0] = "aaaa";
$array->[1][1] = "2";
$array->[2][0] = "bb";
$array->[2][1] = "1";
And I need it sorted in alphabetical order (second column) so that $array->[0][0] is "aaaa" and $array->[0][1] is "2"
I must have been asleep during Programming 101 in the 90's. I've spent hours trawling code and tutorials on the net and just can't get it. Can someone provide me with some sample code please. thanks!
Just sort the dereferenced array by the first element:
$array = [ sort { $a->[0] cmp $b->[0] } @$array ];
or
@$array = sort { $a->[0] cmp $b->[0] } @$array;
Returns:
[ [ 'aaaa', '2' ],
[ 'bb', '1' ],
[ 'cc', '3' ] ]
If you can reach into CPAN, use the sort_by function provided by List::UtilsBy (or via List::AllUtils)
use List::AllUtils 'sort_by';
$array = [ sort_by { $_->[0] } @$array ];
... or alternatively using Sort::Key
use Sort::Key 'keysort';
$array = [ keysort { $_->[0] } @$array ];
Both achieve the same thing, but you should really try to get a modern version of List::AllUtils as it will save you from reinventing a lot of wheels.
@$array = ... @$array; instead of $array = [ ... @$array ]; to avoid creating a new array