Knowledge Base

Sorting a Scripting Dictionary Populated with String Data

Article ID: 246067

Article Last Modified on 8/8/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0

This article was previously published under Q246067

SUMMARY

A Scripting Dictionary object is the equivalent of a PERL associative array, where information is stored in an array consisting of unique keys and item data. Because this information is stored unsorted, enumerating through the array returns information in the order it was stored. The purpose of this article is to define the SortDictionary() function that sorts the contents of a dictionary object populated with string data by key or item.

MORE INFORMATION

The following code example defines two constants, dictKey and dictItem, which are used by the SortDictionary() function. The SortDictionary() function takes two parameters, an object previously created as a scripting dictionary and one of the constants to determine whether to sort by the dictionary's keys or items.

Const dictKey  = 1
Const dictItem = 2

Function SortDictionary(objDict,intSort)
  ' declare our variables
  Dim strDict()
  Dim objKey
  Dim strKey,strItem
  Dim X,Y,Z

  ' get the dictionary count
  Z = objDict.Count

  ' we need more than one item to warrant sorting
  If Z > 1 Then
    ' create an array to store dictionary information
    ReDim strDict(Z,2)
    X = 0
    ' populate the string array
    For Each objKey In objDict
        strDict(X,dictKey)  = CStr(objKey)
        strDict(X,dictItem) = CStr(objDict(objKey))
        X = X + 1
    Next

    ' perform a a shell sort of the string array
    For X = 0 to (Z - 2)
      For Y = X to (Z - 1)
        If StrComp(strDict(X,intSort),strDict(Y,intSort),vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
            strKey  = strDict(X,dictKey)
            strItem = strDict(X,dictItem)
            strDict(X,dictKey)  = strDict(Y,dictKey)
            strDict(X,dictItem) = strDict(Y,dictItem)
            strDict(Y,dictKey)  = strKey
            strDict(Y,dictItem) = strItem
        End If
      Next
    Next

    ' erase the contents of the dictionary object
    objDict.RemoveAll

    ' repopulate the dictionary with the sorted information
    For X = 0 to (Z - 1)
      objDict.Add strDict(X,dictKey), strDict(X,dictItem)
    Next

  End If

End Function

A Working Example

The following example makes use of the above function.

Note: All comments have been removed from the actual sorting function in this example.

Copy the following ASP code and save it to a folder as Sortdemo.asp with at least Scripts access:

<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT"%>
<% Option Explicit %>
<html>
<head><title>Dictionary Sorting</title></head>
<body>
<%

  Dim d, i

  Const dictKey  = 1
  Const dictItem = 2

  Set d = Server.CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")

  d.Add "3", "Delta"
  d.Add "1", "Foxtrot"
  d.Add "4", "Bravo"
  d.Add "2", "Echo"
  d.Add "6", "Alpha"
  d.Add "5", "Charlie"

  Response.Write "<p>Before Sorting:<br>"
  For Each i In d
    Response.Write i & "=" & d(i) & "<br>"
  Next

  Response.Write "<p>By Key:<br>"
  SortDictionary d,dictKey
  For Each i In d
    Response.Write i & "=" & d(i) & "<br>"
  Next

  Response.Write "<p>By Item:<br>"
  SortDictionary d,dictItem
  For Each i In d
    Response.Write d(i) & "=" & i & "<br>"
  Next
%>
</body>
</html>
<%
  Function SortDictionary(objDict,intSort)
    Dim strDict()
    Dim objKey
    Dim strKey,strItem
    Dim X,Y,Z
    Z = objDict.Count
    If Z > 1 Then
      ReDim strDict(Z,2)
      X = 0
      For Each objKey In objDict
          strDict(X,dictKey)  = CStr(objKey)
          strDict(X,dictItem) = CStr(objDict(objKey))
          X = X + 1
      Next
      For X = 0 to (Z - 2)
        For Y = X to (Z - 1)
          If StrComp(strDict(X,intSort),strDict(Y,intSort),vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
              strKey  = strDict(X,dictKey)
              strItem = strDict(X,dictItem)
              strDict(X,dictKey)  = strDict(Y,dictKey)
              strDict(X,dictItem) = strDict(Y,dictItem)
              strDict(Y,dictKey)  = strKey
              strDict(Y,dictItem) = strItem
          End If
        Next
      Next
      objDict.RemoveAll
      For X = 0 to (Z - 1)
        objDict.Add strDict(X,dictKey), strDict(X,dictItem)
      Next
    End If
  End Function
%>

When browsed, the following output should be displayed:

Before Sorting:
3=Delta
1=Foxtrot
4=Bravo
2=Echo
6=Alpha
5=Charlie

By Key:
1=Foxtrot
2=Echo
3=Delta
4=Bravo
5=Charlie
6=Alpha

By Item:
Alpha=6
Bravo=4
Charlie=5
Delta=3
Echo=2
Foxtrot=1

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

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