ruby sort array numerically
Sorting an Array Numerically in Ruby
To sort an array numerically in Ruby, you can use the sort
method along with a block that compares the elements numerically. Here's how you can do it:
array = [5, 2, 8, 1, 9]
sorted_array = array.sort { |a, b| a <=> b }
Let's break down the steps:
- Create an array with the elements you want to sort. In this example, the array is
[5, 2, 8, 1, 9]
. - Use the
sort
method on the array and pass a block that compares the elements numerically. The block uses the spaceship operator (<=>
) to compare two elements. The spaceship operator returns-1
if the first element is less than the second,0
if they are equal, and1
if the first element is greater than the second. - Assign the sorted array to a new variable,
sorted_array
.
After executing the code, sorted_array
will contain the elements of the original array sorted in ascending order: [1, 2, 5, 8, 9]
.
Please note that the sort
method modifies the original array in place. If you want to keep the original array unchanged, you can use the sort
method with the dup
method to create a copy of the array before sorting:
array = [5, 2, 8, 1, 9]
sorted_array = array.dup.sort { |a, b| a <=> b }
Now, array
will remain unchanged, and sorted_array
will contain the sorted elements.