LiveCode Forums.

I see the confusion now. The sort does not use the word representation, if it did it could only sort up to ten. Shao Sean was joking about that. It only happened to work in this case because the first three lengths were incidentally correctly sorted by their alpha representations. It would fail in almost every other example.

Length() returns integers, and sorting numerically on those integers produces the correct result. The error was due to the English like nature of the language where our brain naturally fills in the missing pieces. As programmers we need to be careful about that.

I don’t understand why sort by length would also require a “numeric” specifier. That’s what I think needs to be explained in the docs

jacque wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 4:36 pm

bogs wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:55 pm Oh, heh, I didn't think you had erased it my friend

If the post is the one about filtering out IDE stacks, it's there.

No, the post was a jokey post based on the tangents post after that post. I pm'd it to Craig instead, the only reason I was looking for a pm from the eraser was because for the life of me, I couldn't see what was in it that was bad enough to delete it. I can't learn from it if it just up and disappears like a fart in the wind, if you see (or don't) what I mean

Mikey wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:38 pm I don’t understand why sort by length would also require a “numeric” specifier. That’s what I think needs to be explained in the docs

I don't undertand what you don't understand, I guess. Length() is a function, which could just as easily be a custom sort function that returns any data type. LC has no way of knowing how you want the order arranged unless you tell it. The default is an alpha sort, so without adding "numeric" to the sort command you will get an alpha sort:

1
10
111
...etc.

Which is what Craig got initially. I'm not sure how this would be different from any other sort command.

Edit: Imagine a list of times:

12:03
1:15
2:30
1:45

Sorting by default would sort these in alpha order. To get what you'd expect, you'd need to add "dateTime" to the sort command. "Sort lines of tList" returns alpha sorting, where "sort lines of tList dateTime" gives what you expect. Same thing, right?

I need to add “numeric” why?

That we are continuing to have this discussion is exactly why the docs need a note.

I used to think I knew this stuff, but at this point I think I am leaning towards what Mikey is saying. Clarification in the docs can't hurt, but it could probably help.

Mike.

Constants are powerful and useful native elements. We could live without "comma", for example, but could not live without "quote".

So there are degrees of constant usefulness, and of their concomitant caveats in their use.

There is a counterintuitive glitch in using the constant "two, for example. This, to LC, is not a string of three chars. I have always found those particular ones to be dangerous and superfluous, and have never used any of them.

I do think it would be useful to supply an example in the dictionary showing the sorting, as I wrote above, "9,10,11" as ASCII and numeric, and what you get with either, and why.

Are the user notes still in existence? I do not see them anymore in v.8.They might be the best place to start.

Craig

Mikey wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:34 pm

Code: Select all

sort thatList by the length of item 1 of each

I need to add “numeric” why?

Because you might in fact want all the 1s together. My list of times might be Bible verses or hospital rooms. The length of a string might not actually represent a measurement but rather something else. All sorting requires a qualifier, even if it is the default.

I must have had a stroke. I am completely baffled by this conversation. The docs do not say you have to specify the sort type.

Mikey wrote: Mon Nov 20, 2017 12:35 amThe docs do not say you have to specify the sort type.

True, and you don't. The docs say:

If you don't specify a sortType, the sortType is text.

We all use the term "text" somewhat loosely. The default is ASCII.

Try sorting this, plain vanilla: Craig

EDIT:

Note that the caseSensitive will come into play if one wants to sort:

aaa
AAA
aaa
AAA

and have the ASCII 65 come before the ASCII 97.

I’m not sure how/where a note would add to what is already there. Examples 2 and 3 are both numeric.

I do see a stray word after “text” as the default sortType in my copy. If in the repo I will submit a PR to correct.

bogs wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:13 am Wow, Craig, I'll send you a pm...

Heh, little did I know Craig needs to empty his inbox

Imagine all those deals on Russian goods he is missing out on..

Heh, little did I know Craig needs to empty his inbox

Huh? My inbox is only half full.

Craig