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<refentry xml:id="arrayobject.natsort" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>ArrayObject::natsort</refname>
  <refpurpose>Sort entries using a "natural order" algorithm</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 <refsect1 role="description">
  &reftitle.description;
  <methodsynopsis role="ArrayObject">
   <modifier>public</modifier> <type>true</type><methodname>ArrayObject::natsort</methodname>
   <void/>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <para>
   This method implements a sort algorithm that orders alphanumeric strings
  in the way a human being would while maintaining key/value associations.
   This is described as a "natural ordering".  An example of the difference
   between this algorithm and the regular computer string sorting algorithms
   (used in <link linkend="arrayobject.asort">ArrayObject::asort</link>) method
   can be seen in the example below.
  </para>
  &note.sort-unstable;
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="parameters">
  &reftitle.parameters;
  &no.function.parameters;
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="returnvalues">
  &reftitle.returnvalues;
  <para>
   &return.void;
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="changelog">
  &reftitle.changelog;
  <para>
   <informaltable>
    <tgroup cols="2">
     <thead>
      <row>
       <entry>&Version;</entry>
       <entry>&Description;</entry>
      </row>
     </thead>
     <tbody>
      &return.type.true;
     </tbody>
    </tgroup>
   </informaltable>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="examples">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <para>
   <example>
    <title><function>ArrayObject::natsort</function> example</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$array = array("img12.png", "img10.png", "img2.png", "img1.png");

$arr1 = new ArrayObject($array);
$arr2 = clone $arr1;

$arr1->asort();
echo "Standard sorting\n";
print_r($arr1);

$arr2->natsort();
echo "\nNatural order sorting\n";
print_r($arr2);
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
Standard sorting
ArrayObject Object
(
    [3] => img1.png
    [1] => img10.png
    [0] => img12.png
    [2] => img2.png
)

Natural order sorting
ArrayObject Object
(
    [3] => img1.png
    [2] => img2.png
    [1] => img10.png
    [0] => img12.png
)
]]>
    </screen>
    <para>
     For more information see: Martin Pool's <link xlink:href="&url.strnatcmp;">Natural Order String Comparison</link>
     page.
    </para>
   </example>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="seealso">
  &reftitle.seealso;
  <para>
   <simplelist>
    <member><methodname>ArrayObject::asort</methodname></member>
    <member><methodname>ArrayObject::ksort</methodname></member>
    <member><methodname>ArrayObject::natcasesort</methodname></member>
    <member><methodname>ArrayObject::uasort</methodname></member>
    <member><methodname>ArrayObject::uksort</methodname></member>
    <member><function>natsort</function></member>
   </simplelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>
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