Sort an Array of Version Numbers

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Given an array of strings arr[], consisting of N strings each representing dot separated numbers in the form of software versions.

Input: arr[] = {“1.1.2”, “0.9.1”, “1.1.0”} Output: “0.9.1” “1.1.0” “1.1.2” Input: arr[] = {“1.2”, “0.8.1”, “1.0”} Output: “0.8.1” “1.0” “1.2”

Approach: Follow the steps below to solve the problem:

Create a function to compare two strings.
Store strings into a vector.
In order to compare two dot separated strings S1 and S2, iterate up to the length min(S1, S2) + 1 and compare each numerical parts of the string and sort accordingly.
Repeat the above steps for each pair of string and sort the array accordingly.

Below is the implementation of above idea:

C++

// C++ Program to implement
// the above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Compares two strings
int check(const string& a, const string& b)
{
 
    int al = a.length();
    int bl = b.length();
 
    int i = 0, j = 0;
    while (i < al && j < bl) {
        if (a[i] == b[j]) {
            ++i;
            ++j;
        }
        else if (a[i] > b[j]) {
            return 1;
        }
        else
            return -1;
    }
 
    if (i == al && j == bl)
        return 0;
    if (i == al)
        return -1;
    return 1;
}
 
// Function to split strings based on dots
vector<string> getTokens(const string& a)
{
    vector<string> v;
    string s;
 
    // Stringstream is used here for
    // tokenising the string based
    // on "." delimiter which might
    // contain unequal number of "."[dots]
    stringstream ss(a);
    while (getline(ss, s, '.')) {
        v.push_back(s);
    }
    return v;
}
 
// Comparator to sort the array of strings
bool comp(const string& a, const string& b)
{
 
    // Stores the numerical substrings
    vector<string> va, vb;
    va = getTokens(a);
    vb = getTokens(b);
 
    // Iterate up to length of minimum
    // of the two strings
    for (int i = 0; i < min(va.size(), vb.size());
        i++) {
 
        // Compare each numerical substring
        // of the two strings
        int countCheck = check(va[i], vb[i]);
 
        if (countCheck == -1)
            return true;
 
        else if (countCheck == 1)
            return false;
    }
 
    if (va.size() < vb.size())
        return true;
 
    return false;
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
 
    vector<string> s;
    s.push_back("1.1.0");
    s.push_back("1.2.1");
    s.push_back("0.9.1");
    s.push_back("1.3.4");
    s.push_back("1.1.2");
    s.push_back("1.1.2.2.3");
    s.push_back("9.3");
 
    // Sort the strings using comparator
    sort(s.begin(), s.end(), comp);
 
    // Display the sorted order
    for (int i = 0; i < s.size(); i++) {
        cout << s[i] << endl;
    }
    cout << endl;
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java Program to implement
// the above approach
import java.util.*;
 
class comp implements Comparator<String>
{
 
        // Compares two Strings
    static int check(String a, String b)
    {
 
        int al = a.length();
        int bl = b.length();
 
        int i = 0, j = 0;
        while (i < al && j < bl) {
            if (a.charAt(i) == b.charAt(j)) {
                ++i;
                ++j;
            }
            else if (a.charAt(i) > b.charAt(j)) {
                return 1;
            }
            else
                return -1;
        }
 
        if (i == al && j == bl)
            return 0;
        if (i == al)
            return -1;
        return 1;
    }
 
    // Function to split Strings based on dots
    static String[] getTokens(String a)
    {
        return (a.split("."));
    }
 
    // Comparator to sort the array of Strings
    public int compare(String a, String b)
    {
 
        // Stores the numerical subStrings
 
        String[] va = getTokens(a);
        String[] vb = getTokens(b);
 
        // Iterate up to length of minimum
        // of the two Strings
        for (int i = 0; i < Math.min(va.length, vb.length);
            i++) {
 
            // Compare each numerical subString
            // of the two Strings
            int countCheck = check(va[i], vb[i]);
 
            if (countCheck == -1)
                return -1;
 
            else if (countCheck == 1)
                return 1;
        }
 
        if (va.length < vb.length)
            return -1;
 
        return 1;
    }
 
}
 
class GFG
{
  // Driver Code
  public static void main(String[] args)
  {
 
    ArrayList<String> s = new ArrayList<String>();
    s.add("1.1.0");
    s.add("1.2.1");
    s.add("0.9.1");
    s.add("1.3.4");
    s.add("1.1.2");
    s.add("1.1.2.2.3");
    s.add("9.3");
 
    // Sort the Strings using comparator
    Collections.sort(s, new comp());
 
    // Display the sorted order
    for (int i = 0; i < s.size(); i++) {
      System.out.println(s.get(i));
    }
 
  }
}
 
// This code is contributed by phasing17.

Python3

# Python3 Program to implement
# the above approach
import functools
 
# Compares two strings
def check(a, b):
     
    al = len(a);
    bl = len(b);
 
    i = 0
    j = 0;
    while (i < al and j < bl) :
        if (a[i] == b[j]) :
            i += 1;
            j += 1;
         
        elif (a[i] > b[j]): 
            return 1;
         
        else:
            return -1;
     
    if (i == al and j == bl):
        return 0;
    if (i == al):
        return -1;
    return 1;
 
# Function to split strings based on dots
def getTokens(a):
 
    v = []
 
    # Stringstream is used here for
    # tokenising the string based
    # on "." delimiter which might
    # contain unequal number of "."[dots]
    ss = a.split('.');
    for s in ss:
        v.append(s);
     
    return v;
 
# Comparator to sort the array of strings
def comp(a, b):
 
    # Stores the numerical substrings
    va = []
    vb = [];
    va = getTokens(a);
    vb = getTokens(b);
 
    # Iterate up to length of minimum
    # of the two strings
    for i in range(min(len(va), len(vb))):
 
 
        # Compare each numerical substring
        # of the two strings
        countCheck = check(va[i], vb[i]);
 
        if (countCheck == -1):
            return False;
 
        elif (countCheck == 1):
            return True;
     
    if len(va) < len(vb):
        return False;
    return True;
 
# Driver Code
s = [];
s.append("1.1.0");
s.append("1.2.1");
s.append("0.9.1");
s.append("1.3.4");
s.append("1.1.2");
s.append("1.1.2.2.3");
s.append("9.3");
 
# Sort the strings using comparator
s.sort(key = functools.cmp_to_key(comp));
 
# Display the sorted order
print(*s, sep = '\n')
 
# This code is contributed by phasing17

C#

// C# Program to implement
// the above approach
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
 
public class comp : IComparer<string>
{
 
        // Compares two strings
    static int check(string a, string b)
    {
 
        int al = a.Length;
        int bl = b.Length;
 
        int i = 0, j = 0;
        while (i < al && j < bl) {
            if (a[i] == b[j]) {
                ++i;
                ++j;
            }
            else if (a[i] > b[j]) {
                return 1;
            }
            else
                return -1;
        }
 
        if (i == al && j == bl)
            return 0;
        if (i == al)
            return -1;
        return 1;
    }
 
    // Function to split strings based on dots
    static List <string> getTokens(string a)
    {
        List<string> v = new List<string>(a.Split('.'));
        return v;
    }
 
    // Comparator to sort the array of strings
    public int Compare(string a, string b)
    {
 
        // Stores the numerical substrings
        List<string> va, vb;
        va = getTokens(a);
        vb = getTokens(b);
 
        // Iterate up to length of minimum
        // of the two strings
        for (int i = 0; i < Math.Min(va.Count, vb.Count);
            i++) {
 
            // Compare each numerical substring
            // of the two strings
            int countCheck = check(va[i], vb[i]);
 
            if (countCheck == -1)
                return -1;
 
            else if (countCheck == 1)
                return 1;
        }
 
        if (va.Count < vb.Count)
            return -1;
 
        return 1;
    }
 
}
 
class GFG
{
  // Driver Code
  public static void Main(string[] args)
  {
 
    List<string> s = new List<string>();
    s.Add("1.1.0");
    s.Add("1.2.1");
    s.Add("0.9.1");
    s.Add("1.3.4");
    s.Add("1.1.2");
    s.Add("1.1.2.2.3");
    s.Add("9.3");
 
    // Sort the strings using comparator
    s.Sort(new comp());
 
    // Display the sorted order
    for (int i = 0; i < s.Count; i++) {
      Console.WriteLine(s[i]);
    }
 
  }
}
 
// This code is contributed by phasing17.

Javascript

// JS Program to implement
// the above approach
 
// Compares two strings
function check(a, b)
{
 
    let al = a.length;
    let bl = b.length;
 
    let i = 0, j = 0;
    while (i < al && j < bl) {
        if (a[i] == b[j]) {
            ++i;
            ++j;
        }
        else if (a[i] > b[j]) {
            return 1;
        }
        else
            return -1;
    }
 
    if (i == al && j == bl)
        return 0;
    if (i == al)
        return -1;
    return 1;
}
 
// Function to split strings based on dots
function getTokens(a)
{
    let v = []
 
    // Stringstream is used here for
    // tokenising the string based
    // on "." delimiter which might
    // contain unequal number of "."[dots]
    let ss = a.split('.');
    for (let s of ss)
        v.push(s);
     
    return v;
}
 
// Comparator to sort the array of strings
function comp(a, b)
{
 
    // Stores the numerical substrings
    let va = [], vb = [];
    va = getTokens(a);
    vb = getTokens(b);
 
    // Iterate up to length of minimum
    // of the two strings
    for (var i = 0; i < Math.min(va.length, vb.length);
        i++) {
 
        // Compare each numerical substring
        // of the two strings
        let countCheck = check(va[i], vb[i]);
 
        if (countCheck == -1)
            return false;
 
        else if (countCheck == 1)
            return true;
    }
 
    if (va.length < vb.length)
        return false;
 
    return true;
}
 
// Driver Code
    let s = [];
    s.push("1.1.0");
    s.push("1.2.1");
    s.push("0.9.1");
    s.push("1.3.4");
    s.push("1.1.2");
    s.push("1.1.2.2.3");
    s.push("9.3");
 
    // Sort the strings using comparator
    s.sort(comp);
 
    // Display the sorted order
    console.log(s.join("\n"))
 
// This code is contributed by phasing17

Output

0.9.1
1.1.0
1.1.2
1.1.2.2.3
1.2.1
1.3.4
9.3

Time complexity: O(n*log(n)*len) where n is the number of strings in the array and len is the length of longest string in the array
Auxiliary space: O(len)

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