Sort array of strings after criteria in the middle of each string

Hello community,

i have an array of strings of different lengths which i want to sort.

The arrray could look like this:

str = ["xer_cQwe" "po_bLo" "te_aUc"].

I want to sort the array in an alphabetical order regarding the criteria "_x". In each variable theres only one underline "_" and i want to sort it alphabetically for the then following letter.

Thanks in advance.

[langrg]

Hi,

There is certainly a better solution, but it should work:

str = ["xer_cQwe" "po_bLo" "te_aUc"];
match = regexp(str, '_\w+', 'match');
[~, idxSort] = sort([match{:}]);
strSorted = str(idxSort);

[dpb]

It's a pain can't return second argument from sort for such cases; I've asked it to be an enhancement that I think made the list to be considered, anyway. I built a local utility function that is a wrapper that does that for personal use.

Alternative also is the new(ish) pattern facility that lets one right search expressions w/o explicitly using regexp. It probably is no faster and may be slower...I've used it only a couple times so have to go research how to write something for given purpose.

Answer 1

[Voss]

str = ["xer_cQwe" "po_bLo" "te_aUc"];
[~,idx] = sort(extractAfter(lower(str),'_'));
sorted_str = str(idx)

sorted_str = 1×3 string array
    "te_aUc"    "po_bLo"    "xer_cQwe"