Sorting items on a field

This is useful, for example, when you do an Aritlces getall and need to sort on a dynamic data field.

Example usage:

<xar:set name="arts">xarModApiFunc( 'articles', 'user', 'getall', array('ptid'=>'12', 'extra'=>array('dynamicdata') ))</xar:set>

xar:set name="sorted">xarModApiFunc( 'articles', 'user', 'sortitems', array('items'=>$arts, 'field'=>'year_founded', 'order'=>'DESC'))</xar:set>

I've submitted this to the Xaraya development team, we'll see if it's accepted, rejected, or changed.

<?php
/**
 * author: linoj
 *
 * array $args['items'] array of item arrays (like as returned by articles getall)
 * string $args['field'] name of field to sort on
 * string $args['order'] one of ASC, DESC, [default ASC]
 * returns sorted array of items
Note: I do bubble sort by hand because the $field arg is not in scope of a compare function for usort()
TODO: allow 'field' to be a list of fields and/or an array of fields
*/

function articles_userapi_sortitems( $args )
{
    extract($args);

    // Argument check
    if (!isset($items) || count($items)<1) {
        $msg = xarML('Invalid #(1) for #(2) function #(3)() in module #(4)',
                    'items list', 'user', 'sortitems',
                    'Articles');
        xarErrorSet(XAR_USER_EXCEPTION, 'BAD_PARAM',
                       new SystemException($msg));
        return false;
    }
    if (!isset($field)) {
        $msg = xarML('Invalid #(1) for #(2) function #(3)() in module #(4)',
                    'field', 'user', 'sortitems',
                    'Articles');
        xarErrorSet(XAR_USER_EXCEPTION, 'BAD_PARAM',
                       new SystemException($msg));
        return false;
    }
   
   
    $array_size = count($items);
   
    if (!empty($order) && ($order == 'DESC'))
    {
        for($x = 0; $x < $array_size; $x++) {
          for($y = 0; $y < $array_size; $y++) {
            if($items[$x][$field] > $items[$y][$field]) {
              $hold = $items[$x];
              $items[$x] = $items[$y];
              $items[$y] = $hold;
            }
          }
        }
    }
    else
    { // assume ASC
        for($x = 0; $x < $array_size; $x++) {
          for($y = 0; $y < $array_size; $y++) {
            if($items[$x][$field] < $items[$y][$field]) {
              $hold = $items[$x];
              $items[$x] = $items[$y];
              $items[$y] = $hold;
            }
          }
        }
    }

    return $items;
}

?>