Sorting String with Numbers using VB Script - sorting

Question

How to Sort String with Numeric values using VB Script?
Below are my strings from each row from a table:
"Test 1 pass dec 2"
"Test 3 fail"
"Test 2 pass jun 4"
"Verified"
"Test 10 pass"
"User Accepted"
I would to like get in below order after sorting(natural order):
"Test 1 pass dec 2"
"Test 2 pass jun 4"
"Test 3 fail"
"Test 10 pass"
"User Accepted"
"Verified"
Ways i have tried so far,
Set oAlist=CreateObject("System.Collections.ArrayList")
oAlist.sort
The ArrayList was sorted in below order based on ASCII which I do not prefer:
"Test 1 pass dec 2"
"Test 10 pass"
"Test 2 pass jun 4"
"Test 3 fail"
"User Accepted"
"Verified"
I have tried this link Sort
and i have no idea how to use AppendFormat in my case.
Note:My given string either completely string or string with numbers(dynamic) so not sure how to use RecordSet or AppendFormat here as I am new to programming.

Answer 1

You can have another example.
Sub Sort
Set rs = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
If LCase(Arg(1)) = "n" then
With rs
.Fields.Append "SortKey", 4
.Fields.Append "Txt", 201, 5000
.Open
Do Until Inp.AtEndOfStream
Lne = Inp.readline
SortKey = Mid(Lne, LCase(Arg(3)), LCase(Arg(4)) - LCase(Arg(3)))
If IsNumeric(Sortkey) = False then
Set RE = new Regexp
re.Pattern = "[^0-9\.,]"
re.global = true
re.ignorecase = true
Sortkey = re.replace(Sortkey, "")
End If
If IsNumeric(Sortkey) = False then
Sortkey = 0
ElseIf Sortkey = "" then
Sortkey = 0
ElseIf IsNull(Sortkey) = true then
Sortkey = 0
End If
.AddNew
.Fields("SortKey").value = CSng(SortKey)
.Fields("Txt").value = Lne
.UpDate
Loop
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "a" then SortColumn = "SortKey ASC"
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "d" then SortColumn = "SortKey DESC"
.Sort = SortColumn
Do While not .EOF
Outp.writeline .Fields("Txt").Value
.MoveNext
Loop
End With
ElseIf LCase(Arg(1)) = "d" then
With rs
.Fields.Append "SortKey", 4
.Fields.Append "Txt", 201, 5000
.Open
Do Until Inp.AtEndOfStream
Lne = Inp.readline
SortKey = Mid(Lne, LCase(Arg(3)), LCase(Arg(4)) - LCase(Arg(3)))
If IsDate(Sortkey) = False then
Set RE = new Regexp
re.Pattern = "[^0-9\\\-:]"
re.global = true
re.ignorecase = true
Sortkey = re.replace(Sortkey, "")
End If
If IsDate(Sortkey) = False then
Sortkey = 0
ElseIf Sortkey = "" then
Sortkey = 0
ElseIf IsNull(Sortkey) = true then
Sortkey = 0
End If
.AddNew
.Fields("SortKey").value = CDate(SortKey)
.Fields("Txt").value = Lne
.UpDate
Loop
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "a" then SortColumn = "SortKey ASC"
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "d" then SortColumn = "SortKey DESC"
.Sort = SortColumn
Do While not .EOF
Outp.writeline .Fields("Txt").Value
.MoveNext
Loop
End With
ElseIf LCase(Arg(1)) = "t" then
With rs
.Fields.Append "SortKey", 201, 260
.Fields.Append "Txt", 201, 5000
.Open
Do Until Inp.AtEndOfStream
Lne = Inp.readline
SortKey = Mid(Lne, LCase(Arg(3)), LCase(Arg(4)) - LCase(Arg(3)))
.AddNew
.Fields("SortKey").value = SortKey
.Fields("Txt").value = Lne
.UpDate
Loop
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "a" then SortColumn = "SortKey ASC"
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "d" then SortColumn = "SortKey DESC"
.Sort = SortColumn
Do While not .EOF
Outp.writeline .Fields("Txt").Value
.MoveNext
Loop
End With
ElseIf LCase(Arg(1)) = "tt" then
With rs
.Fields.Append "SortKey", 201, 260
.Fields.Append "Txt", 201, 5000
.Open
Do Until Inp.AtEndOfStream
Lne = Inp.readline
SortKey = Trim(Mid(Lne, LCase(Arg(3)), LCase(Arg(4)) - LCase(Arg(3))))
.AddNew
.Fields("SortKey").value = SortKey
.Fields("Txt").value = Lne
.UpDate
Loop
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "a" then SortColumn = "SortKey ASC"
If LCase(Arg(2)) = "d" then SortColumn = "SortKey DESC"
.Sort = SortColumn
Do While not .EOF
Outp.writeline .Fields("Txt").Value
.MoveNext
Loop
End With
End If
End Sub

Answer 2

Since you are working with strings, you are going to need to write a custom sort function that can parse the test numbers from the strings.
Alternatively, you could pre-process your list and parse the numbers into a separate field, then sort based on that field.

Answer 3

To apply the techniques from here to the problem (using Split instead of a RegExp):
Option Explicit
Dim aInp : aInp = Array( _
"Test 1 pass dec 2" _
, "Test 3 fail" _
, "Test 2 pass jun 4" _
, "Verified" _
, "Test 10 pass" _
, "User Accepted" _
)
WScript.Echo "----- Input:", vbCrLf & Join(aInp, vbCrLf)
Dim aOtp : aOtp = Array( _
"Test 1 pass dec 2" _
, "Test 2 pass jun 4" _
, "Test 3 fail" _
, "Test 10 pass" _
, "User Accepted" _
, "Verified" _
)
WScript.Echo "----- Expected:", vbCrLf & Join(aOtp, vbCrLf)
Dim oNAL : Set oNAL = CreateObject( "System.Collections.ArrayList" )
Dim oSB : Set oSB = CreateObject( "System.Text.StringBuilder" )
Dim sInp, aParts, aWTF
For Each sInp In aInp
aParts = Split(sInp, " ", 3)
Select Case UBound(aParts)
Case 0 ' add 2 blank elms to "verified"
aWTF = aParts
ReDim Preserve aWTF(2)
Case 1 ' put an empty elm in the middle
' aParts = Array( aParts(0), "", aParts(1))
' ==> VBScript runtime error: This array is fixed or temporarily locked
aWTF = Array( aParts(0), "", aParts(1))
Case 2 ' What the doctor ordered
aWTF = aParts
Case Else
Err.Raise "Shit hits fan"
End Select
oSB.AppendFormat_3 "{0}{1,4}{2}", aWTF(0), aWTF(1), aWTF(2)
sInp = oSB.ToString() & "|" & sInp ' dirty trick: append org data th ease 'reconstruction'
oSB.Length = 0
oNAL.Add sInp
Next
oNAL.Sort
ReDim aOut(oNAL.Count - 1)
Dim i
For i = 0 To UBound(aOut)
aOut(i) = Split(oNAL(i), "|")(1)
Next
WScript.Echo "----- Output:", vbCrLf & Join(aOut, vbCrLf)
output:
cscript 37946075.vbs
----- Input:
Test 1 pass dec 2
Test 3 fail
Test 2 pass jun 4
Verified
Test 10 pass
User Accepted
----- Expected:
Test 1 pass dec 2
Test 2 pass jun 4
Test 3 fail
Test 10 pass
User Accepted
Verified
----- Output:
Test 1 pass dec 2
Test 2 pass jun 4
Test 3 fail
Test 10 pass
User Accepted
Verified
Just for fun: The 'same', but using a RegExp (better scaling technique):
...
Dim r : Set r = New RegExp
r.Pattern = "^(\w+\s*)(\d+\s*)?(.*)$"
Dim sInp, m, aParts(2)
Dim i
For Each sInp In aInp
Set m = r.Execute(sInp)
If 1 = m.Count Then
For i = 0 To 2
aParts(i) = m(0).SubMatches(i)
Next
Else
Err.Raise "Shit hits fan"
End If
oSB.AppendFormat_3 "{0}{1,4}{2}", aParts(0), aParts(1), aParts(2)
sInp = oSB.ToString() & "|" & sInp ' dirty trick: append org data to ease 'reconstruction'
...