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From: c8553709@cc.nu.oz.au
Newsgroups: comp.lang.pascal
Subject: Re: Comparing strings...
Message-ID: <2665.27249cc2@cc.nu.oz.au>
Date: 23 Oct 90 09:40:50 GMT
References: <2203.27170055@cc.nu.oz.au>
Organization: University of Newcastle
Lines: 37

In article <2203.27170055@cc.nu.oz.au>, v8902058@cc.nu.oz.au writes:
> 
> Hello...
> 	I'm sorry if this is a trival task, but I would like a function that
> compares two strings. I would like to be able to find if a string is equal to,
> less than, or greater than another string.  I tried writing a routinue myself,
> but I just can't seem to do it, so I thought I'd ask.
> 	I wouldn't mind some code, or just the basic algorithm maybe.
> 	If anyone can help me, please email or post...
> Thanks.
> Bernard.


You will find that you can perform the logical operations =, < and > on
strings that are made up of packed arrays, in standard Pascal, and so most
likely on any version of Pascal. The following is some code...


[program header]

type string_type = packed array[1..80] of char;
     results = (same,ordered,unordered);

[body of program]

procedure compare_strings(string1,string2 : string_type; var result : results);
begin
   if string1=string2 then result:=same
      else if string1>string2 then result:=ordered
      else result:=unordered
end;

[rest of program]


In fact, as this is only one statement you do not need to make a procedure out
of it, if not required often.