LDP/LDP/guide/docbook/abs-guide/bubble.sh

#!/bin/bash
# bubble.sh: Bubble sort, of sorts.

# Recall the algorithm for a bubble sort. In this particular version...

#  With each successive pass through the array to be sorted,
#+ compare two adjacent elements, and swap them if out of order.
#  At the end of the first pass, the "heaviest" element has sunk to bottom.
#  At the end of the second pass, the next "heaviest" one has sunk next to bottom.
#  And so forth.
#  This means that each successive pass needs to traverse less of the array.
#  You will therefore notice a speeding up in the printing of the later passes.


exchange()
{
  # Swaps two members of the array.
  local temp=${Countries[$1]} #  Temporary storage
                              #+ for element getting swapped out.
  Countries[$1]=${Countries[$2]}
  Countries[$2]=$temp
  
  return
}  

declare -a Countries  #  Declare array,
                      #+ optional here since it's initialized below.

#  Is it permissable to split an array variable over multiple lines
#+ using an escape (\)?
#  Yes.

Countries=(Netherlands Ukraine Zaire Turkey Russia Yemen Syria \
Brazil Argentina Nicaragua Japan Mexico Venezuela Greece England \
Israel Peru Canada Oman Denmark Wales France Kenya \
Xanadu Qatar Liechtenstein Hungary)

# "Xanadu" is the mythical place where, according to Coleridge,
#+ Kubla Khan did a pleasure dome decree.


clear                      # Clear the screen to start with. 

echo "0: ${Countries[*]}"  # List entire array at pass 0.

number_of_elements=${#Countries[@]}
let "comparisons = $number_of_elements - 1"

count=1 # Pass number.

while [ "$comparisons" -gt 0 ]          # Beginning of outer loop
do

  index=0  # Reset index to start of array after each pass.

  while [ "$index" -lt "$comparisons" ] # Beginning of inner loop
  do
    if [ ${Countries[$index]} \> ${Countries[`expr $index + 1`]} ]
    #  If out of order...
    #  Recalling that \> is ASCII comparison operator
    #+ within single brackets.

    #  if [[ ${Countries[$index]} > ${Countries[`expr $index + 1`]} ]]
    #+ also works.
    then
      exchange $index `expr $index + 1`  # Swap.
    fi  
    let "index += 1"  # Or,   index+=1   on Bash, ver. 3.1 or newer.
  done # End of inner loop

# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Paulo Marcel Coelho Aragao suggests for-loops as a simpler altenative.
#
# for (( last = $number_of_elements - 1 ; last > 0 ; last-- ))
##                     Fix by C.Y. Hunt          ^   (Thanks!)
# do
#     for (( i = 0 ; i < last ; i++ ))
#     do
#         [[ "${Countries[$i]}" > "${Countries[$((i+1))]}" ]] \
#             && exchange $i $((i+1))
#     done
# done
# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  

let "comparisons -= 1" #  Since "heaviest" element bubbles to bottom,
                       #+ we need do one less comparison each pass.

echo
echo "$count: ${Countries[@]}"  # Print resultant array at end of each pass.
echo
let "count += 1"                # Increment pass count.

done                            # End of outer loop
                                # All done.

exit 0