How To Sort A List Alphabetically In Python Without Sort Function

In this tutorial, we will learn how to sort a list alphabetically in Python without using the built-in sort function. Sorting a list is a common operation in programming and sometimes it can be useful to know how to do it without relying on the built-in functions. This can help you better understand the logic and algorithms used in sorting as well as improve your Python skills.

Step 1: Implement the Bubble Sort Algorithm

We will use the Bubble Sort algorithm to sort the list alphabetically. Bubble sort works by repeatedly swapping adjacent elements if they are in the wrong order.

Here’s how the Bubble Sort algorithm can be implemented in Python:

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def bubble_sort(lst):
    n = len(lst)
 
    for i in range(n):
        for j in range(0, n-i-1):
            if lst[j] > lst[j+1]:
                lst[j], lst[j+1] = lst[j+1], lst[j]

Step 2: Create a List of Strings

Now that we have our sorting function, let’s create a list of strings that we want to sort alphabetically.

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strings = ["apple", "banana", "kiwi", "mango", "orange"]

Step 3: Call the Bubble Sort Function

After creating the list, we can call the bubble_sort function to sort our list alphabetically.

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bubble_sort(strings)

Step 4: Print the Sorted List

Finally, we can print the sorted list to see the output.

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print(strings)

Our output should be:

['apple', 'banana', 'kiwi', 'mango', 'orange']

The Full Code

Below is the full code combining all of the steps above:

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def bubble_sort(lst):
    n = len(lst)
 
    for i in range(n):
        for j in range(0, n-i-1):
            if lst[j] > lst[j+1]:
                lst[j], lst[j+1] = lst[j+1], lst[j]
 
strings = ["apple", "banana", "kiwi", "mango", "orange"]
 
bubble_sort(strings)
print(strings)

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned how to sort a list alphabetically in Python without using the built-in sort function. We implemented the Bubble Sort algorithm, created a list of strings, sorted the list using the algorithm, and displayed the output. This exercise can help you better understand the logic behind sorting algorithms and improve your Python programming skills.