libs-base/Headers/Foundation/NSSortDescriptor.h

/* Interface for NSSortDescriptor for GNUStep
   Copyright (C) 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

   Written by:  Saso Kiselkov <diablos@manga.sk>
   Date: 2005
   
   This file is part of the GNUstep Base Library.

   This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
   modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
   License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
   version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
   
   This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
   Library General Public License for more details.
   
   You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public
   License along with this library; if not, write to the Free
   Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston,
   MA 02111 USA.
   */ 

#ifndef __NSSortDescriptor_h_GNUSTEP_BASE_INCLUDE
#define __NSSortDescriptor_h_GNUSTEP_BASE_INCLUDE

#include <Foundation/NSObject.h>
#include <Foundation/NSArray.h>

#if	defined(__cplusplus)
extern "C" {
#endif

#if OS_API_VERSION(100300,GS_API_LATEST)

@class NSString;

@interface NSSortDescriptor : NSObject <NSCopying, NSCoding>
{
  NSString *_key;
  BOOL	_ascending;
  SEL	_selector;
}

- (BOOL) ascending;
- (NSComparisonResult) compareObject: (id) object1 toObject: (id) object2;
- (id) initWithKey: (NSString *)key
	 ascending: (BOOL)ascending;
- (id) initWithKey: (NSString *)key
         ascending: (BOOL)ascending
          selector: (SEL)selector;
- (NSString *) key;
- (SEL) selector;
- (id) reversedSortDescriptor;
@end

@interface NSArray (NSSortDescriptorSorting)

- (NSArray *) sortedArrayUsingDescriptors: (NSArray *)sortDescriptors;

@end

@interface NSMutableArray (NSSortDescriptorSorting)

/**
 * This method works like this: first, it sorts the entire
 * contents of the array using the first sort descriptor. Then,
 * after each sort-run, it looks whether there are sort
 * descriptors left to process, and if yes, looks at the partially
 * sorted array, finds all portions in it which are equal
 * (evaluate to NSOrderedSame) and applies the following
 * descriptor onto them. It repeats this either until all
 * descriptors have been applied or there are no more equal
 * portions (equality ranges) left in the array.
 */
- (void) sortUsingDescriptors: (NSArray *)sortDescriptors;

@end

#if	defined(__cplusplus)
}
#endif

#endif

#endif /* __NSSortDescriptor_h_GNUSTEP_BASE_INCLUDE */