Java Program to Sort an Array of Strings

Introduction

Sorting an array of strings involves arranging the strings in lexicographical (dictionary) order. This task is common in scenarios such as alphabetizing lists, sorting names, or organizing data. This guide will walk you through writing a Java program that sorts an array of strings in ascending order.

Problem Statement

Create a Java program that:

Prompts the user to enter the size of an array and its string elements.
Sorts the array of strings in lexicographical order.
Displays the sorted array.

Example:

Input: ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date"]
Output: ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date"]
Input: ["dog", "cat", "elephant", "bear"]
Output: ["bear", "cat", "dog", "elephant"]

Solution Steps

Read the Array Size and Elements: Use the Scanner class to take the size and elements of the string array as input from the user.
Sort the Array: Use the Arrays.sort() method to sort the array in lexicographical order.
Display the Sorted Array: Print the sorted array.

Java Program

// Java Program to Sort an Array of Strings // Author: https://www.rameshfadatare.com/ import java.util.Arrays; import java.util.Scanner; public class SortStrings { public static void main(String[] args) { // Step 1: Read the size and elements of the array from the user Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in); System.out.print("Enter the number of strings: "); int size = scanner.nextInt(); scanner.nextLine(); // Consume the newline String[] array = new String[size]; System.out.println("Enter the strings:"); for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) { array[i] = scanner.nextLine(); } // Step 2: Sort the array of strings Arrays.sort(array); // Step 3: Display the sorted array System.out.println("Sorted array of strings:"); for (String str : array) { System.out.println(str); } } }

Explanation

Step 1: Read the Array Size and Elements

The Scanner class is used to read the size of the string array and its elements. The nextInt() method captures the size, and the nextLine() method is used to capture each string.

Step 2: Sort the Array

The Arrays.sort() method is used to sort the array in lexicographical order. This method sorts the elements in place, meaning the original array is modified to reflect the sorted order.

Step 3: Display the Sorted Array

The program prints each element of the sorted array using a for-each loop.

Output Example

Example 1:

Enter the number of strings: 4 Enter the strings: apple banana cherry date Sorted array of strings: apple banana cherry date

Example 2:

Enter the number of strings: 4 Enter the strings: dog cat elephant bear Sorted array of strings: bear cat dog elephant

Example 3:

Enter the number of strings: 3 Enter the strings: java python c++ Sorted array of strings: c++ java python

Conclusion

This Java program demonstrates how to sort an array of strings in lexicographical order. The program covers essential concepts such as array manipulation, sorting, and input/output operations. This exercise is valuable for understanding how to handle and sort strings in Java programming.