package main
import (
"fmt"
"sort"
)
// A couple of type definitions to make the units clear.
type earthMass float64
type au float64
// A Planet defines the properties of a solar system object.
type Planet struct {
name string
mass earthMass
distance au
}
// By is the type of a "less" function that defines the ordering of its Planet arguments.
type By func(p1, p2 *Planet) bool
// Sort is a method on the function type, By, that sorts the argument slice according to the function.
func (by By) Sort(planets []Planet) {
ps := &planetSorter{
planets: planets,
by: by, // The Sort method's receiver is the function (closure) that defines the sort order.
}
sort.Sort(ps)
}
// planetSorter joins a By function and a slice of Planets to be sorted.
type planetSorter struct {
planets []Planet
by func(p1, p2 *Planet) bool // Closure used in the Less method.
}
// Len is part of sort.Interface.
func (s *planetSorter) Len() int {
return len(s.planets)
}
// Swap is part of sort.Interface.
func (s *planetSorter) Swap(i, j int) {
s.planets[i], s.planets[j] = s.planets[j], s.planets[i]
}
// Less is part of sort.Interface. It is implemented by calling the "by" closure in the sorter.
func (s *planetSorter) Less(i, j int) bool {
return s.by(&s.planets[i], &s.planets[j])
}
var planets = []Planet{
{"Mercury", 0.055, 0.4},
{"Venus", 0.815, 0.7},
{"Earth", 1.0, 1.0},
{"Mars", 0.107, 1.5},
}
// ExampleSortKeys demonstrates a technique for sorting a struct type using programmable sort criteria.
func main() {
// Closures that order the Planet structure.
name := func(p1, p2 *Planet) bool {
return p1.name < p2.name
}
mass := func(p1, p2 *Planet) bool {
return p1.mass < p2.mass
}
distance := func(p1, p2 *Planet) bool {
return p1.distance < p2.distance
}
decreasingDistance := func(p1, p2 *Planet) bool {
return !distance(p1, p2)
}
// Sort the planets by the various criteria.
By(name).Sort(planets)
fmt.Println("By name:", planets)
By(mass).Sort(planets)
fmt.Println("By mass:", planets)
By(distance).Sort(planets)
fmt.Println("By distance:", planets)
By(decreasingDistance).Sort(planets)
fmt.Println("By decreasing distance:", planets)
}