From: Giles Bowkett <gilesb@...>
Date: 2006-11-10T15:59:13+09:00
Subject: Re: array sorting question

you know, both these solutions, while much prettier than my code,
produced messier results. here's what I used.

    stuff = data_objects[thing_name]
    if 2 < stuff.length
      midpoint = stuff.length / 2
      left_side = stuff[0..midpoint]
      right_side = stuff[(midpoint + 1)..10000000]
      [left_side, right_side].each do |things|
        things.sort! {|x,y| x.inner_stuff.length <=> y.inner_stuff.length}
      end
      stuff = left_side + right_side.reverse
    end

there's some graphing of the results, which is why I named the vars
left side and right side. anyway, as I said, the suggestions were much
much prettier than my code. but for some reason the results, in the
graph this thing produces as output, were prettier.

I really don't know why this ugly, hackish code produces prettier
results, but it does. it's kind of weird that way.

-- 
Giles Bowkett
http://www.gilesgoatboy.org