Sorting Algorithms — Boring Until You Add Sound 118
An anonymous reader writes "Anyone who's ever taken a programming course or tried to learn how to code out of a book will have come across sorting algorithms. Bubble, heap, merge — there's a long list of methods for sorting data. The subject matter is fairly dry. Thankfully, someone has found a way to not only make sorting more interesting, but easier to remember and understand, too."
Re:Easily amused (Score:3, Insightful)
No Quicksort? (Score:5, Insightful)
Feel like I'm complaining about a poll with a missing option, but, honestly ....:(
gus
Shear Sort (Score:4, Insightful)
The Shear Sort is one of my favorite sorts out there. Although you will need an orchestra to play it.
Just Play Popcorn by Hot Butter (Score:1, Insightful)
It doesn't even matter if it matches the sorting. All sorting algorithms will benefit from the playing of Popcorn.
Re:No Quicksort? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Sorting is a waste of time (Score:5, Insightful)
If you think all that time examining sorting algorithms was intended to teach you about sorting, then you indeed missed the point. Programming courses spend a lot of time on sorting because it is a common task that can be easily understood, but for which there are a lot of different algorithms with very different performance characteristics. The point is to teach algorithm analysis skills.
Judging from the quality of code I encounter regularly, though, you're far from alone in failing to pick up that lesson.