Sorting Objects Using STL

Here's an example of how using objects (hat-tip: Paul Wolfensberger)

#include <iostream>
#include <ostream>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>

// A base class to hold, return and output a value
class Item
{
private:
      int val;

public:
      Item( int x )
      {
            val =  x;
      }

      // Indicate the item type as a string
      virtual   char* ItemName() = 0;

      int GetVal() { return val; }
      void OutputToStream( std::ostream& os )
      {
          os << ItemName() << "\t" << val << "\n";
      }
};

// Derived class - "old"
class OldItem : public Item
{
      public:
      OldItem( int val )
          : Item( val )  { }

      char* ItemName()    {    return "Old: ";  }
};

// Derived class - "new"
class NewItem : public Item
{
public:
      NewItem( int val )
          : Item( val )  { }

      char* ItemName()    {    return "New: ";  }
};

// Item vector class definition. This class de-allocates
// objects in case you are forgetful.
class ItemVector : public std::vector< Item* >
{
public:

      // Avoid leaks by ensuring items are de-allocated
      ~ItemVector()
      {
          for ( iterator it = begin();
                it != end();
                ++ it )
          {
              delete *it;
          }
      }
};

// Define means of specifying how we want to sort the data:
// Ascending order in this example
struct Ascending
{
      bool operator() ( Item*& start, Item*& end )
      {
            return start->GetVal() < end->GetVal();
      }
};

void main()
{
      ItemVector itvect;

      // Insert some values...
      itvect.push_back( new OldItem( 43 ) );
      itvect.push_back( new NewItem( 34 ) );
      itvect.push_back( new NewItem( 443 ) );
      itvect.push_back( new OldItem( 433 ) );
      itvect.push_back( new OldItem( 343 ) );

      // Sort values in ascending order...
      std::sort( itvect.begin(),
                 itvect.end(),
                 Ascending() );

      // Show the results!
      for ( int i = 0; i < (int) itvect.size(); ++i )
      {
            itvect[ i ]->OutputToStream( std::cout );
      }

      // Pause for a response
      getchar();
}

And here is the output when it is run: A simpler demonstration using integer arrays:

class descending
{
public:
    bool operator()( int x, int y ) const
    {
        return x > y;
    }
};

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
    int a[] = { 100, 101, -2, 23, 1010, 44, 55, 3 };
    vector<int> v( a, a + 8 );

    sort( v.begin(), v.end(), descending() );  

    copy( v.begin(),
          v.end(),
          ostream_iterator<int>( cout, " " ) );

    return 0;
}