Determining the smallest of a group of variables.

[Googi]

Say I have a bunch of variables and want to figure out which one is the smallest. Obviously I can just load them into an array and do sortbyascending then take the first value and see which of the variables it matches, but I was wondering if there's a less convoluted way.

[xAndrewx]

PHP Code:

function onCreated() {
  temp.f = {4, 3, 5, 7};
  temp.f.sortascending();

  echo(temp.f[0]);
} 


You even said how to do it, he he

[Kyranki]

Googie wanted a simpler way to do it besides using sort ascending dear Andrew.

[DustyPorViva]

PHP Code:

temp.lowest=999999;
for (i:temp.array) {
  if (i<temp.lowest) temp.lowest=i;
} 


temp.lowest=lowest number
This what you looking for?

[Darklux]

I suggest mergesort or quicksort,
the effort of it is just rising by n log n for n as the natural size of the problem.

[DustyPorViva]

I guess there's always:

PHP Code:

temp.numbers={5,1,7,8,2};
temp.lowest=temp.numbers.sortascending()[0]; 


As well.

[Googi]

The thing is, I want to get the variable name, not its value. What I'm looking for is a simpler way of getting the variable name than getting the lowest value and then checking each variable if it matches the value, not a simpler way of getting the lowest value.

[Kyranki]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

PHP Code:

temp.lowest=999999;
for (i:temp.array) {
  if (i<temp.lowest) temp.lowest=i;
} 


temp.lowest=lowest number
This what you looking for?

Then this is what you're looking for.

[Googi]

Originally Posted by Kyranki

Then this is what you're looking for.

That just returns the value of the variable with the lowest value, not the name of the variable. I'd still have to check every variable to see if it matches that value.

EDIT: Came up with a way to do it:

PHP Code:

temp.lowest=999999;
temp.arrayvalue = 0;
for (i:temp.array) {
  if (i<temp.lowest) {
    temp.lowest = i;
    temp.lowestposition = temp.arrayvalue;
  }
  temp.arrayvalue++;
} 


Gives the lowest value and its position in the array, which is pretty much just as good since each variable's array position is known.

[DustyPorViva]

Ah, I completely misread, I thought you said numbers in an array, not a set of variables. In that case:

PHP Code:

temp.lowest={-1,999999};
for (i=0;i<temp.array.size();i++) {
  if (i<temp.lowest) {
    temp.lowest={i,temp.array[i]};
  }
} 


It's a little more compact.

[cbk1994]

Originally Posted by Googi

That just returns the value of the variable with the lowest value, not the name of the variable. I'd still have to check every variable to see if it matches that value.

EDIT: Came up with a way to do it:

PHP Code:

temp.lowest=999999;
temp.arrayvalue = 0;
for (i:temp.array) {
  if (i<temp.lowest) {
    temp.lowest = i;
    temp.lowestposition = temp.arrayvalue;
  }
  temp.arrayvalue++;
} 


Gives the lowest value and its position in the array, which is pretty much just as good since each variable's array position is known.

HOW2SCRIPT

[Googi]

Originally Posted by cbkbud

HOW2SCRIPT

You're so cool.

[Novo]

Well...

PHP Code:

temp.lowest = temp.arr.sortascending()[0];
temp.indexOfLowest = temp.arr.indexOf( temp.lowest ); 


?!

[DustyPorViva]

Owned

[Googi]

Originally Posted by Novo

Well...

PHP Code:

temp.lowest = temp.arr.sortascending()[0];
temp.indexOfLowest = temp.arr.indexOf( temp.lowest ); 


?!

Wouldn't that just set temp.indexOfLowest to 0 because you've sorted temp.arr to be in ascending order? Although you could do:

PHP Code:

temp.sortarr = temp.arr;
temp.lowest = temp.sortarr.sortascending()[0];
temp.indexOfLowest = temp.arr.indexOf(temp.lowest); 


[DustyPorViva]

He sorted it, but did so in another variable, so the original array is untouched.

[Googi]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

He sorted it, but did so in another variable, so the original array is untouched.

I thought that since sortascending is a function, it changes the array regardless of whether it's being used within a variable assignment or on its own line (at least, this is the way it is in PHP).

[napo_p2p]

sortascending() just sorts the array. It does not even return a sorted array. Something like:

PHP Code:

temp.lowest = temp.arr.sortascending()[0]; 


Would just set temp.lowest to null.

I guess you could make a sortascending2 and do:

PHP Code:

function sortascending2(arr) {
  temp.result = temp.arr;
  temp.result.sortascending();
  return temp.result;
} 


Then:

PHP Code:

  temp.lowest = sortascending2(temp.arr)[0];
  temp.indexOfLowest = temp.arr.index( temp.lowest ); 


Should work.

[cbk1994]

Originally Posted by Googi

You're so cool.

Thank you, ma'am.