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Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set?

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On 8/3/2017 1:15 PM, Eric Douglas wrote:
> On Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 12:20:29 PM UTC-4, Eric Sosman wrote:
>>
>>       If you're using a Comparator, how does Comparable enter
>> into the discussion?
>>
> 
> Isn't there always a comparator for a comparable?

     No.  This isn't the first thread in which you've mixed up
Comparable and Comparator.  Perhaps a refresher course in Java
basics would be in order.

> I mean I just call the sort method on an array of instances of this custom class.  It is Comparable, it compares to other instances of itself.

     ... so you're not using a Comparator.  Okay ... but you probably
should be.  An object whose internal state switches between "Now I'm
using one of my Strings to decide my order, oh, wait, no, I'm using
an Integer instead" is a design that's just asking for trouble:

	Thing thing1 = ...;
	thing1.setSortOrder(Thing.USE_STRING);
	Thing thing2 = ...;
	thing2.setSortOrder(Thing.USE_INTEGER);

See the problem yet?  Okay, keep going:

	int compare12 = thing1.compare(thing2);  // uses String (?)
	int compare21 = thing2.compare(thing1);  // uses Integer (?)

Now you might discover that thing1 > thing2 AND thing2 > thing1 ...

     If you sometimes want to sort by the String and sometimes by the
Integer, ditch Comparable (or use it for just one of the orderings)
and use Comparators:

	Comparator<Thing> byString =
	    (p,q) -> p.getString().compareTo(q.getString());

	Comparator<Thing> byInteger =
	    (p, q) -> p.getInteger().compareTo(q.getInteger());

	Thing[] array = ...;
	Arrays.sort(array, byString);
	...
	Arrays.sort(array, byInteger);
	...

or even

	Thing[] array = ...;
	boolean how = ...;
	Arrays.sort(array, how ? byString : byInteger);
	...

or even

	Arrays.sort(array,
	    (p, q) -> p.getStoned().compareTo(q.getStoned()));
	...

-- 
esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid
Twelve hundred sixty-six days to go.

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Thread

What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-27 12:12 -0700
  Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Knute Johnson <nospam@rabbitbrush.frazmtn.com> - 2017-07-27 14:38 -0500
    Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-27 12:49 -0700
  Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-07-27 15:49 -0400
    Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-27 12:55 -0700
    Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-27 13:22 -0700
      Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-27 13:30 -0700
      Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Knute Johnson <nospam@rabbitbrush.frazmtn.com> - 2017-07-27 15:34 -0500
      Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-07-27 18:27 -0400
        Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? lewbloch@gmail.com - 2017-07-28 18:51 -0700
    Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? v_borchert@despammed.com (Volker Borchert) - 2017-07-29 06:03 +0000
  Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? v_borchert@despammed.com (Volker Borchert) - 2017-07-28 18:19 +0000
    Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-28 13:28 -0700
      Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-07-28 17:20 -0400
        Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-31 05:24 -0700
          Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-07-31 12:01 -0400
            Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-07-31 10:58 -0700
          Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Sebastian <nowhere@nirvana.org> - 2017-07-31 18:13 +0200
          Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? lewbloch@gmail.com - 2017-07-31 09:24 -0700
          Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2017-07-31 19:24 -0400
        Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-01 06:36 -0700
          Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-08-01 10:58 -0400
            Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-01 08:09 -0700
              Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? lewbloch@gmail.com - 2017-08-01 09:39 -0700
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-01 10:18 -0700
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2017-08-02 09:22 +0000
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-02 05:13 -0700
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2017-08-03 14:33 +0000
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-03 08:51 -0700
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-08-03 12:20 -0400
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-03 10:15 -0700
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-08-03 13:42 -0400
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-03 11:17 -0700
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-08-05 16:08 -0400
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2017-08-05 20:31 +0000
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-08-05 17:25 -0400
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2017-08-05 22:11 +0000
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Sebastian <nowhere@nirvana.org> - 2017-08-06 18:13 +0200
                Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-08-02 12:56 -0700
  Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-07-29 16:55 -0400
  Re: What's the best way to make a cross string set? Sebastian <nowhere@nirvana.org> - 2017-07-29 23:56 +0200

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