Hi all,

I am using the quick sort algorithm in this link: http://www.softwareandfinance.com/CSharp/QuickSort_Recursive.html

Why is this sorting method working with strings but not with numbers?
When sorting numbers using this method, I am getting the following error:

"Process is terminated due to StackOverFlowException"

Any help would be highly appreciated.

 

What language?

Where is your code? Remember to use code tags.

 

There example is for numbers.

In general, all you need to sort any list is a means of deciding whether item A is "greater" than item B.

When you use their code as is and without any modification at all, what do you get?

 

There example is for numbers.

In general, all you need to sort any list is a means of deciding whether item A and "greater" than item B.

When you use their code as is and without any modification at all, what do you get?

OP said using "algorithm" . That suggests to me that OP is not using actual code but just the algorithm of the code. Could be any language and yes including C#.

 

Good point.

All the more important to post the actual code -- well presented and commented -- so that we don't have to use our crystal balls to read his mind.

 

Hi all,

I am using the quick sort algorithm in this link: http://www.softwareandfinance.com/CSharp/QuickSort_Recursive.html

Why is this sorting method working with strings but not with numbers?
When sorting numbers using this method, I am getting the following error:

"Process is terminated due to StackOverFlowException"

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Because q-sort is primarily a string based algorithm.

 

Because q-sort is primarily a string based algorithm.

Really? When in the past 55 years did they change it? Quick Sort can sort any kind of object. You just need to supply the proper comparison function.

 

Because q-sort is primarily a string based algorithm.

Not true, it will sort anything where a comparison can be made between any 2 objects.

 

Because q-sort is primarily a string based algorithm.

Q-sort is essentially a generic algorithm. IIRC correctly (and it has literally been decades since I used it) the qsort function in the standard C library requires you to supply a pointer to a function that takes two arguments and returns an integer value that is <0, 0, or >0 depending on the relative order that the two items should be placed in. This is one of the reasons for the nature of the output of the strcmp() family of functions.

 

The reason why I said that (and how unqualified I am to be even contributing in this subset of a forum) is that I was writing code one day to sort numbers alone and I was trying to apply the same techniques but to strings and the guy just said that will never work you need to use the q-sort algorithm if that's what you're trying to achieve and the chap I am I just took his word for it.

 

The error the TS is getting is "StackOverFlowException". He doesn't state which algorithm from that link he is using, but I note that one is a recursive algorithm. If that is what he is using, and depending on the actual data being sorted (which determines the number of recursions) and depending on what platform (memory restrictions) - recursion lends itself to stack overflows. Again, not enough information and the TS hasn't returned yet. As WBahn stated, I would like to see the code and his data in addition.

 

The reason why I said that (and how unqualified I am to be even contributing in this subset of a forum) is that I was writing code one day to sort numbers alone and I was trying to apply the same techniques but to strings and the guy just said that will never work you need to use the q-sort algorithm if that's what you're trying to achieve and the chap I am I just took his word for it.

A good way to learn is to engage in a discussion and put forth your best ideas and believes and have them be challenged and corrected.