Subject: Re: type_size_sort

From: Andreas Ericsson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2005 22:38:39 +0100

Morten Welinder wrote:
> static int type_size_sort(const struct object_entry *a, const struct
> object_entry *b)
> {
> ...
>   return a < b ? -1 : (a > b);
> }
> 
> This does not look valid.  the standard says you must not depend on the
> location:
> 
> 
>        [#4] When  the  same  objects  (consisting  of  size  bytes,
>        irrespective  of  their  current positions in the array) are
>        passed more  than  once  to  the  comparison  function,  the
>        results  shall be consistent with one another.  That is, for
>        qsort they shall define a total ordering on the  array,  and
>        for  bsearch  the  same object shall always compare the same
>        way with the key.
> 

It's perfectly correct. If the same list was to be passed to 
create_sorted_list() twice it will come out exactly the same the second 
time as it did the first. The only thing to remark on is that the return 
above could be written as below instead:

	return a - b;

-- 
Andreas Ericsson                   [email-masked]
OP5 AB                             www.op5.se
Tel: +46 8-230225                  Fax: +46 8-230231