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Java Advanced Sorting Techniques

Advanced sorting techniques in Java involve customizing sorting logic using comparators, lambda expressions, and sorting complex data structures. Understanding these techniques is essential for efficient data manipulation.

1. Custom Comparators

A Comparator interface can be implemented to define custom sorting logic.

Example: Sorting Objects by Multiple Fields

import java.util.Comparator;

public class Person {
    private String name;
    private int age;

    // Constructor, getters, setters
}

Comparator<Person> compareByNameThenAge = Comparator
    .comparing(Person::getName)
    .thenComparing(Person::getAge);

Collections.sort(personList, compareByNameThenAge);

2. Using Streams for Sorting

Java 8 introduced Streams API, which can be used for advanced sorting.

Example: Sorting with Streams

personList.stream()
    .sorted(Comparator.comparing(Person::getName))
    .forEach(System.out::println);

3. Parallel Sorting

For large datasets, you can use parallel sorting to improve performance.

Example: Using Arrays.parallelSort()

int[] numbers = {5, 2, 8, 3, 1};
Arrays.parallelSort(numbers);

4. Sorting Custom Data Structures

Implement Comparable or use Comparator to sort custom objects.

5. Key Takeaways

  • Advanced sorting allows for complex and efficient data ordering.
  • Use custom comparators for multi-level sorting criteria.
  • Streams API provides a functional approach to sorting.
  • Parallel sorting can improve performance for large arrays.
  • Understanding these techniques is crucial for handling complex sorting requirements.
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