From: Phrogz <phrogz@...>
Date: 2008-01-24T07:29:56+09:00
Subject: Re: Alphabetizing

Slightly simpler than my previous:

retired_players = <<PLAYERS
Mike Anthony Gallego, 1985-1997
Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr., 1981-2001
Tony K. Gwynn, 1982-2004
Dennis Eckersley, 1975-1998
PLAYERS

# Find player info: yields an array of arrays
players = retired_players.scan( /^(.+), (\d+)-(\d+)/ )

players = players.sort_by{ |name, start_year, end_year|
  # find the last name to use as the sort key
  name[ /\w+(?:, (?:jr\.|sr\.|phd|dds))?$/i ]
}

p players
#=> [["Dennis Eckersley", "1975", "1998"], ["Mike Anthony Gallego",
"1985", "1997"], ["Tony K. Gwynn", "1982", "2004"], ["Calvin Edwin
Ripken, Jr.", "1981", "2001"]]