78144 - zdnet.com - zdnet tells js developers to use true/false comparison functions for sort()

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(Tech Evangelism Graveyard :: English US, defect, P1)

Description

[Jesse Ruderman]

ZDNet tells me to use this function with sort():

function alphaDescending(a, b) {
	return (a < b);
}

This function is incorrect because comparison functions are supposed to return 
-1/0/1, not true/false.  The function they give works in Netscape 4 and 
sometimes works in IE, but it hasn't worked in Mozilla since Brendan checked in 
the change in bug 64065 (it works in 2001 010310 Win98 but not in 2001 010504).

The correct function is:

function alphaDescending(a, b) {
	return (a < b) ? 1 : -1;
}

Comment 1

[Brendan Eich [:brendan]]

        return (a < b) ? 1 : -1;

It would help to return 0 for the case where a == b.

/be

Comment 2

[Bob Clary [:bc] (inactive)]

Contacted [e-mail] 7/6/01 about the sort function error as well
as improper browser sniffing etc. Marking assigned.

Comment 3

[Bob Clary [:bc] (inactive)]

All Evangelism Bugs are now in the Product Tech Evangelism. See bug 86997 for
details.

Comment 4

[Bob Clary [:bc] (inactive)]

follow up with these sites by 0.9.5

Comment 5

[Bob Clary [:bc] (inactive)]

-> 0.9.6, need to follow up on these asap

Comment 6

[Bob Clary [:bc] (inactive)]

-> authors

Comment 7

[Bob Clary [:bc] (inactive)]

these guys will never fix this. -> wont fix

Comment 8

[Brant Gurganus]

Verified per instructions at http://mozilla-evangelism.bclary.com/evangelism.html

Comment 9

[Nick Bebout]

Moving to new component