On Wed, Apr 03, 2002 at 09:35:51AM +0400, Serge D. Mechveliani wrote:
The Standard library specifies only the map related to the name `sort'. This map can be described, for example, via sort-by-insertion program. And the algorithm choice is a matter of each particular implementation. Implementation has right to change the algorithm.
Reading this, it occurred to me that if you're very picky the implementation probably isn't allowed to pick the algorithm: you need to assume that '<' is actually a total order to have much leeway at all. (Suppose, e.g., that comparing two particular elements yields an exception.) It seems to me this is a problem with providing code as specification: you probably fix the details more than you want. Best, Dylan Thurston