
Sorting Algorithm

This is a sorting algorithm.   It may be applied to a set of data in order to sort it.    
For comparing various sorts, see compare sorts.  
For other sorting algorithms,   see sorting algorithms,   or:

O(n logn) sorts
Heap sort |
Merge sort |
Patience sort |
Quick sort
O(n log2n) sorts
Shell Sort
O(n2) sorts
Bubble sort |
Cocktail sort |
Cocktail sort with shifting bounds |
Comb sort |
Cycle sort |
Gnome sort |
Insertion sort |
Selection sort |
Strand sort
other sorts
Bead sort |
Bogo sort |
Common sorted list |
Composite structures sort |
Custom comparator sort |
Counting sort |
Disjoint sublist sort |
External sort |
Jort sort |
Lexicographical sort |
Natural sorting |
Order by pair comparisons |
Order disjoint list items |
Order two numerical lists |
Object identifier (OID) sort |
Pancake sort |
Quickselect |
Permutation sort |
Radix sort |
Ranking methods |
Remove duplicate elements |
Sleep sort |
Stooge sort |
[Sort letters of a string] |
Three variable sort |
Topological sort |
Tree sort




 This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Insertion sort. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Rosetta Code, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU FDL. (See links for details on variance)



An O(n2) sorting algorithm which moves elements one at a time into the correct position.
The algorithm consists of inserting one element at a time into the previously sorted part of the array, moving higher ranked elements up as necessary.
To start off, the first (or smallest, or any arbitrary) element of the unsorted array is considered to be the sorted part.

Although insertion sort is an O(n2) algorithm, its simplicity, low overhead, good locality of reference and efficiency make it a good choice in two cases: 


   small   n, 

   as the final finishing-off algorithm for O(n logn) algorithms such as mergesort and quicksort.


The algorithm is as follows (from wikipedia):

function insertionSort(array A)
    for i from 1 to length[A]-1 do
        value := A[i] 
        j := i-1
        while j >= 0 and A[j] > value do
            A[j+1] := A[j]
            j := j-1
        done
        A[j+1] = value
    done

Writing the algorithm for integers will suffice.




function insertionSort(array:Array)
{
	for(var i:int = 1; i < array.length;i++)
	{
		var value = array[i];
		var j:int = i-1;
		while(j >= 0 && array[j] > value)
		{
			array[j+1] = array[j];
			j--;
		}
		array[j+1] = value;
	}
	return array;
}