NAME

Algorithm::SISort - Implementation of Select And Insert sorting algorithm in C

SYNOPSIS

  use Algorithm::SISort qw(Sort Sort_inplace);
  
  @sorted_list = Sort {$_[0] <=> $_[1]} @unsorted_list;
  # ... or ...
  Sort_inplace {$_[0] <=> $_[1]} @unsorted_list;

DESCRIPTION

This module implements a sorting algorithm I saw in BIT 28 (1988) by István Beck and Stein Krogdahl. This implmentation is mainly intended to try out the Inline module by Brian Ingerson. The algorithim is a combination of Straight Insertion Sort and Selection Sort. While Insertion Sort and Selection Sort both are of complexity O(n**2), Select and Insert Sort should have complexitiy O(n**1.5).

This module defines the functions Sort and Sort_inplace, which have signatures similar to the internal sort function. The difference is that a codref defining a comparison is always required and that the two values to compare are always passed in @_ and not as $a and $b. (Although I might change that later.)

Sort returns a sorted copy if the array, but Sort_inplace sorts the array in place (as the name suggests) and returns the number of comparisons done. (Note that the sorting is always done in place, Sort just copies the array before calling the internal sort routine.)

BUGS

This is the first serious (i.e. not "Hello World") C-extension I've done, so I suspect I've screwed around with the refcounts of the list entries. Until I've confirmed that there are no memory leaks, I caution people not to use this peace of code in any production system.

Any bug-reports, comments and patches are very welcome at my email address below.

SEE ALSO

Inline, Inline::C, and A Select And Insert Sorting Algorithm by István Beck and Stein Krogdahl in BIT 28 (1988), 726-735.

AUTHOR

Hrafnkell F. Hlodversson, keli@shebang.dk

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2001, Hrafnkell F Hlodversson

All Rights Reserved. This module is free software. It may be used, redistributed and/or modified under the terms of the Perl Artistic License.

See http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html