Numbers Increase While Letters Decrease

Question

Inspired by this Stack Overflow question: Sorting a list: numbers in ascending, letters in descending. Your task is to solve the following problem and, as this is code-golf, you should do so in as few as bytes as possible.

You should take a list of objects as input containing letters (any reasonable form: string, char, etc) and numbers. You should then sort the numbers into ascending order and the letters into descending order. However, you should keep letters in letter positions and numbers in number positions. For example, if the list is:

[L, D, L, L, D, L]

The output list should be in the form of:

[L, D, L, L, D, L]

Workthrough

Input: ['a', 2, 'b', 1, 'c', 3]

• Sort the numbers into ascending order: [1, 2, 3]
• Sort the letters into descending order: ['c', 'b', 'a']
• Join them back but keep the order the same: ['c', 1', 'b', 2, 'a', 3]

Rules

• The list will only contain letters and digits.
• The list may be empty.
• The list may only contain letters or only digits.
• If your language does not support mixed type arrays you may use digit characters instead of numbers. Note that if your language does support this you must use mixed types.
• Letters will only be [a-z] or [A-Z], you may choose which one.
• Letters are sorted as a being lowest, z being highest i.e. a = 1, z = 26.
• Standard loopholes are forbidden.
• I/O may be by any standard means including as a string.

Test cases

[5, 'a', 'x', 3, 6, 'b'] -> [3, 'x', 'b', 5, 6, 'a']

[ 3, 2, 1] -> [ 1, 2, 3 ]

[ 'a', 'b', 'c' ] -> [ 'c', 'b', 'a' ]

[] -> []

[ 2, 3, 2, 1 ] -> [1, 2, 2, 3]

As this is code-golf the shortest answer in bytes wins!

Answer 1

Python 2, 53 52 51 bytes

^{-2 bytes thanks to g.rocket
-1 byte thanks to Jonathan Frech
-1 byte thanks to RootTwo}

def F(x):n=sorted(x);print[n.pop(-(e>x))for e in x]

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The sorted list will have the numbers first and then the chars like [3, 5, 6, 'a', 'b', 'x'], then use e>x to filter what is number and what is char, in python any number is less than a list (input) and a list is less than a string.

Answer 2

Retina, 10 bytes

O`\d
O^`\D

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The O stage in Retina can directly perform the kind of selective sorting required by this challenge.

Here the first line sorts digits while the second line sorts non-digits in reverse.

Answer 3

APL (Dyalog), 27 26 bytes

Expects characters to be uppercase

(⍋⊃¨⊂)@(~e)(⍒⊃¨⊂)@(e←∊∘⎕A)

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This is just two applications of the form f@g, apply the function f on the items indicated by g.

For the first application we use:
 f: ⍒⊃¨⊂ the descending grades (⍒) each pick (⊃¨) from the entire argument (⊂).
 g: (e←∊∘⎕A) members (∊) of (∘) the Alphabet (⎕A), and store (←) this function as e.

For the second application we use:
 f: ⍋⊃¨⊂ the ascending grades (⍋) each pick (⊃¨) from the entire argument (⊂).
 g: (~e) not (~) members of the alphabet (e; the function we stored before)

Answer 4

JavaScript (ES6), 71 51 47 bytes

Saved 20 bytes by just using sort(), as suggested by @JustinMariner
Saved 4 more bytes thanks to @CraigAyre

Using a similar approach as Rod's Python answer:

a=>[...a].map(n=>a.sort()[1/n?'shift':'pop']())

Test cases

let f =

a=>[...a].map(n=>a.sort()[1/n?'shift':'pop']())

console.log(JSON.stringify(f(['a', 2, 'b', 1, 'c', 3]))) // -> ['c', 1', 'b', 2, 'a', 3]
console.log(JSON.stringify(f([5, 'a', 'x', 3, 6, 'b']))) // -> [3, 'x', 'b', 5, 6, 'a']
console.log(JSON.stringify(f([3, 2, 1]))) // -> [ 1, 2, 3 ]
console.log(JSON.stringify(f(['a', 'b', 'c']))) // -> [ 'c', 'b', 'a' ]
console.log(JSON.stringify(f([]))) // -> []
console.log(JSON.stringify(f([2, 3, 2, 1]))) // -> [1, 2, 2, 3]

Answer 5

R, 83 76 bytes

-7 bytes thanks to Miff

function(n){u=unlist
d=n%in%0:9
n[d]=sort(u(n[d]))
n[!d]=sort(u(n[!d]),T)
n}

This is the same as the below, but it allows for mixed-type input as a list rather than an atomic vector (which would typecast everything as characters with mixed types).

Try it online!

R, 68 61 bytes

-7 bytes thanks to Miff

function(n){d=n%in%0:9
n[d]=sort(n[d])
n[!d]=sort(n[!d],T)
n}

Anonymous function. All digits are cast to characters in this case. n[-d] is the array without the digits. Returns NULL (empty list) on empty input.

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Answer 6

Japt, 18 15 bytes

Thanks @Shaggy for -3 bytes and for help fixing for arrays with 0s.

c ñc
®¤?Vv :Vo

First line is intentionally left blank.

Try it online! using -Q to view the formatted array.

Explanation

First line is blank to avoid overwriting the input array.
[5, 'a', 'x', 3, 6, 'b']

c ñc

Make a copy by flattening (c) the input array, then sort (ñ) with strings represented by their char code (c). This is stored in V.
[3, 5, 6, 'a', 'b', 'x']

£

Then map the input array by the function...

¤?Vv :Vo

Turn numbers into binary strings (truthy) or strings into "" (falsy) (¤). If truthy, remove from the start of V (v), otherwise remove from the end (o).

Answer 7

JavaScript, 164 162 158 142 bytes

edit 1: 2 bytes less after removing a redundant assignment of v.

edit 2: 4 bytes less thanks to TheLethalCoder.

edit 3: 16 bytes less thanks to brilliant hints from Justin Mariner

x=>eval("n=v=>typeof(v)=='number';l=x.length;for(i=0;i<l;x[i++]=x[m],x[m]=w){for(v=w=x[j=m=i];++j<l;)n(e=x[j])==n(w)&&e<v==n(w)&&(m=j,v=e)}x")

It's my very first time in code-golf, so it can surely be improved... But still, worth a try.

The program performs a variant of selection sort, which only takes into account the values of the same type as the current one (swapping only a number and a number, or a letter and a letter)

Readable form:

x=>eval("
    n=v=>typeof(v)=='number';
    l=x.length;
    for(i=0;i<l;x[i++]=x[m],x[m]=w){
        for(v=w=x[j=m=i];++j<l;) 
            n(e=x[j])==n(w) && e<v==n(w) && (m=j,v=e)
    }
    x
")

Answer 8

Jelly, 9 bytes

OÞḢṪOƑ}?Ɱ

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Takes input as a flat array (Jelly typically treats strings as char arrays, so [5, 'a', 'x', 3, 6, 'b'] -> [5, ['a'], ['x'], 3, 6, ['b']]. The Footer flattens this array for you).

Similar to PurkkaKoodari's Jelly answer

How it works

OÞḢṪOƑ}?Ɱ - Main link. Takes an array A on the left
 Þ        - Sort by:
O         -   Ordinal
            This shuffles the strings to the end,
             sorting both the strings and the numbers
        Ɱ - Over each element E in A:
       ?  -   If statement:
    OƑ}   -     Condition: E is a number?
  Ḣ       -     Then: Pop and yield the first element of A sorted
   Ṫ      -     Else: Pop and yield the last element of A sorted

Answer 9

Jelly, 14 bytes

FOÞɓṪ}Ḣ}ẇØa$?€

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Basically a port of Rod's Python solution.

Answer 10

q/kdb+, 54 53 bytes

Solution:

{x[w,q]:asc[x w:(&)d],desc x q:(&)(~)d:-7=type@/:x;x}

Examples:

q){x[w,q]:asc[x w:(&)d],desc x q:(&)(~)d:-7=type@/:x;x}(5;"a";"x";3;6;"b") / mixed list
3
"x"
"b"
5
6
"a"
q){x[w,q]:asc[x w:(&)d],desc x q:(&)(~)d:-7=type@/:x;x}3 2 1   / simple list
1 2 3
q){x[w,q]:asc[x w:(&)d],desc x q:(&)(~)d:-7=type@/:x;x}"abc"   / simple list
"cba"
q){x[w,q]:asc[x w:(&)d],desc x q:(&)(~)d:-7=type@/:x;x}2 3 2 1 / simple list
1 2 2 3

Explanation:

Find the chars in the list, sort descending, find the longs in the list, sort them ascending, join to get a list of, e.g. ("x";"b";"a";3;5;6), then assign the sorted values back to their original positions in the list, e.g. at 0 3 4 1 2 5.

Golfing is just switching out q keywords (each, where and not) for their k equivalent (which requires them to be wrapped in brackets).

{x[w,q]:asc[x w:where d],desc x q:where not d:-7=type each x;x} / ungolfed
{                                                           ; } / lambda function with 2 statements
                                                 type each x    / return types of elements in mixed list
                                              -7=               / true where item is a long
                                            d:                  / save this bool array in d
                                        not                     / invert
                                  where                         / indices where true (we have chars)
                                q:                              / save these indices in q
                              x                                 / values of x at these indices
                         desc                                   / sort them descending
                        ,                                       / join/contatenate
                where d                                         / indices where we have digits
              w:                                                / save this in w
            x                                                   / values of x at these indices
        asc[           ]                                        / sort them ascending
 x[w,q]:                                                        / assign this list to x at indices w,q
                                                             x  / return x

Edits

• -1 byte as don't need square brackets around desc

Answer 11

C++17 (gcc), 219 bytes

#include <variant>
#include <set>
using V=std::variant<char,int>;void f(V*a,V*b){std::set<V>S[2];for(V*c=a;c<b;++c)S[c->index()].insert(*c);auto
C=S->rbegin();auto N=S[1].begin();for(;a<b;++a)*a=(a->index()?*N++:*C++);}

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Hardly competitive. But I must support mixed-type arrays? FINE.

Accepts an array of variants in range style, and modifies it in place. Copies the input into two sorted sets, and then back into the input/output array.

Answer 12

Japt, 9 bytes

I knew there had to be a (golfy) way to do this without any sort of conditional :)

Outputs an array of singleton arrays. Replace £ with c@ to output a flat array.

£=ñs)jÓXÌ

Try it

£=ñs)jÓXÎ     :Implicit input of array U
£             :Map each X (or flat map with c@)
 =            :  Reassign to U
  ñ           :    Sort by
   s          :      Converting to string if an integer, slicing if a string (which does nothing to the string if given no arguments)
    )         :  End reassignment
     j        :  Remove (mutating the original) and return the element at modular 0-based index
      Ó       :    Bitwise NOT of the negation of (i.e, decrement)
       XÎ     :    Sign of difference of X with -1 if an integer, last character if a string (resulting in 0 if an integer or -1 if a string)

Answer 13

Mathematica, 203 bytes

(K=Reverse;B=Complement;L=Length;S=Position[#,_Integer];T=Sort@Cases[#,_Integer];G=K@B[#,T];V=B[Range@L@#,Flatten@S];R=K@Sort@#;Table[R[[Min@S[[i]]]]=T[[i]],{i,L@T}];Table[R[[V[[i]]]]=G[[i]],{i,L@G}];R)&

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Answer 14

Pyth, 12 11 bytes

KSQm.(Kt>\@

Try it online! or Try the Test Suite.

---

Explanation

KSQm.(Kt<d\@  - Full program with implicit input.

KSQ           - Assign a variable K to the lexicographically sorted input.
   m          - Map over the input (with a variable d).
    .(K       - Pop the sorted list at this location:
       >\@    - If d is lexicographically lower than '@', at 0 (the first element). Else, at -1 (the last element).

Answer 15

Python, 145 139 130 bytes

6 bytes saved thanks to @officialaimm

9 bytes saved thanks to @Chris_Rands

g=lambda s,a:sorted(x for x in s if(type(x)==str)==a)
def f(s):l,n=g(s,1),g(s,0)[::-1];return[[n,l][type(x)==str].pop()for x in s]

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Answer 16

05AB1E, 17 bytes

SaJ¹á{R¹þ{«vyay.;

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---

SaJ               # Push 1 if letter 0 else, for all letters in string.
   ¹á{R           # Reverse sort letters from input.
       ¹þ{        # Regular sort digits from input.
          «       # Concatenate those two things.
           v      # For each letter in the sorted string...
            ya    # 0 if digit, 1 if letter.
              y.; # Replace first instance of 0/1 with digit/letter.

---

Using the sort-by closure actually was worse: Σ©Ç®ai0<*}}¹SaJsvyay.;

Answer 17

Haskell, 108 bytes

There may be shorter ways, but I just had to try it with the Lens library.

import Control.Lens
import Data.List
i(!)f=partsOf(traverse.filtered(!'='))%~f.sort
f x=x&i(<)id&i(>)reverse

I could define f to just be the composition of the two i invocations, but I'd still have to apply x to it to avoid a type error from the monomorphism restriction. Note that the type of f is Traversable t => t Char -> t Char so it can be used with Strings which are lists of Chars as well as with arrays of Chars.

Here are the test cases:

*Main> map f ["5ax36b","321","abc","","2321"]
["3xb56a","123","cba","","1223"]

Answer 18

Python 3, 77 bytes

This answer is based on the comment that says you can use '1', '2', etc if chars and digits are not comparable in the language. 'a' and 1 are not comparable in Python 3.

def f(s):x=sorted(s,key=lambda c:ord(c)-95);return[x.pop(-(c>'.'))for c in s]

Answer 19

C (gcc), 125 113 110 bytes

main(i){char*b,*c,s[99];for(gets(c=b=s);*++c||*(c=++b);)i=*b&64,i^*c&64||*c>*b^!i&&(i=*c,*c=*b,*b=i);puts(s);}

Try it online!

Explained:

main(i)
{
    char*b,*c,s[99];

    // slightly modified stupid bubblesort, this line in fact
    // does nested looping with a single for statement
    for(gets(c=b=s);*++c||*(c=++b);)
    // (undefined behavior here, there's no sequence point between accesses to c,
    // so this could go wrong. Works with the gcc version on tio.)

        // determine whether the current b is a letter:
        i=*b&64,

        // for doing anything, b and c must be the same "type":
        i^*c&64

            // when c > b for letter or c <= b for digit
            || *c>*b^!i

            // then swap
            && (i=*c,*c=*b,*b=i);

    puts(s);
}

Letters are expected in uppercase.

Answer 20

PHP, 66 bytes:

for($a=$argv,sort($a);a&$c=$argv[++$i];)echo$a[$c<A?++$k:--$argc];

takes input from command line arguments, prints a string. Run with -nr or try it online.

Yields a warning in PHP 7.1; replace a& with ""< to fix.

Answer 21

APL (Dyalog), 26 bytes

a[⍒i][⍋⍋27>i←(⎕a,⌽⍳9)⍳a←⎕]

(uses ⎕IO=1)

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Answer 22

Uiua, 24 bytes

⍜▽(⊏⍏.)¬⊃∘⍜▽(⊏⍖.)⊐∵type.

Try it!

⍜▽(⊏⍏.)¬⊃∘⍜▽(⊏⍖.)⊐∵type.
                       .  # duplicate
                 ⊐∵type   # mask of types (0 for number, 1 for character)
          ⍜▽(⊏⍖.)         # descending sort the characters
        ⊃∘                # keep the mask
       ¬                  # not
⍜▽(⊏⍏.)                   # ascending sort the numbers

Answer 23

K (ngn/k), 26 bytes

{x[>i]@<<1>i:x*1 1'`c=@'x}

Derived from @ngn's APL solution

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Answer 24

Mathematica, 107 bytes

(s=#;s[[p]]=Sort[s[[p=#&@@@s~($=Position)~_String]],#2~Order~#>0&];s[[c]]=Sort@s[[c=#&@@@s~$~_Integer]];s)&

Answer 25

C# (.NET Core), 171 bytes

a=>{var b=a.Where(x=>x is int).ToList();b.Sort();int i=0,j=0;return a.Select(x=>b.Contains(x)?b[i++]:a.Except(b).OrderByDescending(y=>y).ToList()[j++]);}

Byte count also includes:

using System.Linq;

Try it online!

Explanation:

a =>
{
    var b = a.Where(x => x is int).ToList(); // Filter to only ints and transform to list
    b.Sort();                                // Sort the list
    int i = 0, j = 0;                        // Create index counters
    return a.Select(x =>                     // Replace each input element with
                    b.Contains(x) ?          // If it is in list b:
                    b[i++] :                 // Get the next element from b
                    a.Except(b)              // Otherwise take input and filter out those in b
                     .OrderByDescending(x=>x)// Order them z to a
                     .ToList()[j++]);        // Get the next element

Answer 26

Perl 5, 107 + 1 (-n) = 108 bytes

y/][//d;@a=split/, /;@l=sort grep/\D/,@a;@d=sort grep/\d/,@a;@r=map{/\d/?pop@d:shift@l}@a;$"=", ";say"[@r]"

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Answer 27

Ruby, 265 bytes

x.sort_by(&:to_s).select{|a| a.is_a?(String)}.zip(x.map.with_index {|a, i| a.is_a?(String) ? i : nil}.compact).each{|a,i| x[i] = a}
x.sort_by(&:to_s).select{|a| a.is_a?(Integer)}.zip(x.map.with_index {|a, i| a.is_a?(Integer) ? i : nil}.compact).each{|a,i| x[i] = a}

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First timer here, My solution is definetly not the best one. But since this is my first answer, I thought in posting just for the fun of it.

Looking foward to see better Ruby answers, to see what is the best approach. I hope I improve in future answers =)

Readable

x = ["c", 1, "a", 3, "b", 2]

b = x.map.with_index {|a, i| a.is_a?(Integer) ? i : nil}.compact
s = x.map.with_index {|a, i| a.is_a?(String) ? i : nil}.compact

o = x.sort_by(&:to_s).select{|a| a.is_a?(Integer)}
d = x.sort_by(&:to_s).select{|a| a.is_a?(String)}

d.zip s
d.zip(s).each {|a, i| x[i] = a}

o.zip b
o.zip(b).each {|a, i| x[i] = a }

p x

Answer 28

Python 3, 91 bytes

def f(s):x=sorted(s,key=lambda c:(type(c)==str,c));return[x.pop(-(type(c)==str))for c in s]

Answer 29

Clojure, 151 bytes

#(map(fn[t c](nth((if(=(type 1)t)vec reverse)(sort((group-by type %)t)))(-(c t)1)))(map type %)(reductions(partial merge-with +)(for[i %]{(type i)1})))

Example:

(def f #( ... ))
(f [5 \a \x 3 6 \b])
; (3 \x \b 5 6 \a)

This calculates the cumulative sum count of integers and characters, and uses it to lookup the correct element from a sorted list of corresponding type's elements.

Answer 30

Zsh, 43 55 70 95 bytes

b=(${(n)@});for i;echo $b[$[#i>64?--k:++j]]

Try it online!   _{55bytes   70bytes   95bytes}

Create a sorted array b, numbers first. Iterate over the arguments. If i is a letter (>ascii #64) then decrement k and print b[k], (e.g. b[-2] is the 2nd to last value). If i is a number, increment j and print b[j].

_{NB: Previously I forgot to decrease letters. Fixed now, and saved bytes!}