how to sort array in this code

date.txt file contains:
0001688239=11:02:40:12/12/1999
1163533198=03:20:01:02/07/1963
0728661599=10:00:00:11/23/1976
0583230589=15:30:10:07/04/1981
0133185599=12:00:00:10/11/1995

append.c

// append.c appends files to a file
//User enters this on Run line: append.c <file1> <app2file>
// User enters append date.txt sortdate to have text from date.txt appended to sortdate.txt file
// I WANT THE LINES IN DATE.TXT SORTED SO THEY ARE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER when placed in the output file.
//HOW DO I DO THIS????
//I will offer a $25 Amazon.com gift cert. to the first person to write this code for me. I’ve run out of time.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#define BUFSIZE 1024
char temp[BUFSIZE];
void append(FILE *source, FILE *dest);

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
FILE *fa, *fr;
int file;

if (argc < 3)
{
fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s source-file(s) destination-file\n", argv[0]);
exit(1);
}
if ((fa = fopen(argv[argc - 1], "a")) == NULL)
{
fprintf(stderr, "Can't open %s]n", argv[argc -1]);
exit(2);
}
if (setvbuf(fa, NULL, _IOFBF, BUFSIZE) !=0)
{
fputs("Can't create output buffer\n", stderr);
exit(3);
}
for (file = 1; file < argc - 1; file++)
{
if (strcmp(argv[argc -1], argv[file]) == 0)
fputs("Can't append file to itself\n", stderr);
else if ((fr = fopen(argv[file], "r")) == NULL)
fprintf(stderr, "Can't open %s\n", argv[file]);
else
{
if (setvbuf(fr, NULL, _IOFBF, BUFSIZE) !=0)
{
fputs("Can't create output buffer]n", stderr);
continue;
}
append(fr, fa);
if (ferror(fr) !=0)
fprintf(stderr, "Error in reading file %s.\n", argv[file]);
if (ferror(fa) !=0)
fprintf(stderr, "Error in writing file %s.\n", argv[argc -1]);
fclose(fr);
}
}
fclose(fa);
return 0;
}

void append(FILE *source, FILE *dest)
{
size_t bytes;
extern char temp[]; // use the external temp array

while ((bytes = fread(temp, sizeof(char), BUFSIZE,source)) > 0)
fwrite(temp, sizeof (char), bytes, dest);
}

Hi Jody,

I prepared a little listing for you. (Borland C++ 2.0).
It's a function to sort your file.I added no error handling.
Surely there is a better way to do thisjob. Maybe you will
improve it.

If it's possible store the data as:
YYYY:MM:DD:HH:MM:SS=0001688239

So you can use the DOS command "SORT".

Good Luck !!!
Peter


void sortfile(char *filename)
{
FILE *f;
typedef struct{
char s[ROW_LENGTH];
char t[TIME_LENGTH];
} rowtype;
rowtype row[100];
int rowcount=0;
int x,y;
char h[ROW_LENGTH];

if ((f=fopen(filename,"rt"))==0)
{
fputs("Can't open file.",stderr);
return;
}

while(!feof(f))
{
//read string from file
fscanf(f,"%s",row[rowcount].s);
if(strlen(row[rowcount].s)<30) break;

//make a temporary string for sorting
//year
row[rowcount].t[ 0]=row[rowcount].s[26];
row[rowcount].t[ 1]=row[rowcount].s[27];
row[rowcount].t[ 2]=row[rowcount].s[28];
row[rowcount].t[ 3]=row[rowcount].s[29];
//month
row[rowcount].t[ 4]=row[rowcount].s[20];
row[rowcount].t[ 5]=row[rowcount].s[21];
//day
row[rowcount].t[ 6]=row[rowcount].s[23];
row[rowcount].t[ 7]=row[rowcount].s[24];
//hour
row[rowcount].t[ 8]=row[rowcount].s[11];
row[rowcount].t[ 9]=row[rowcount].s[12];
//minute
row[rowcount].t[10]=row[rowcount].s[14];
row[rowcount].t[11]=row[rowcount].s[15];
//second
row[rowcount].t[12]=row[rowcount].s[17];
row[rowcount].t[13]=row[rowcount].s[18];
//End of string
row[rowcount].t[14]='\0';

++rowcount;
}
fclose(f);

//sort the array
for(x=0;x<rowcount;++x)
for(y=0;y<rowcount;++y)
{
if(strcmp(row[x].t,row[y].t)<0)
{
strcpy(h,row[x].s);
strcpy(row[x].s,row[y].s);
strcpy(row[y].s,h);

strcpy(h,row[x].t);
strcpy(row[x].t,row[y].t);
strcpy(row[y].t,h);
}

}

//output in file
if((f=fopen(filename,"wt"))==0)
{
fputs("Can't open temporary file.",stderr);
return;
}

for(x=0;x<rowcount;++x)
{
fputs(row[x].s,f);
if(x<rowcount-1) fputs("\n",f);
}
fclose(f);
}