Sorting multidimensional array in Delphi 2007

Question

I have a multidimensional array similar to the one described below:

Matrix => array(
 [0] => array( [0] => 7, [1] => 'hello' ),
 [1] => array( [0] => 3, [1] => 'there' ),
 [2] => array( [0] => 1, [1] => 'world' ),
)

What I'm trying to achieve is to sort this array using the values of Matrix[i][0]. What would be the most efficient way to do this? I looked into the recursive QuickSort function possibility, but it's rather complicated as I'm multidimensional arrays. There are many examples of quicksort, but none of them handle taking an "Array of Array of String" as an input.

Please ask for clarification if my text seems gibberish. I'm still fairly new to Delphi.

Answer 1

As Rob pointed out in his comment, there's no way to have an multi-dimensional array that stores both integers and strings (without resorting to variants).

If it's really just an array containing integer/string pairs, it would be much easier to store them in a TStringList using the Strings and Objects properties, and then use CustomSort to sort on the Object values:

program Project2;

{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}

uses
  SysUtils, Classes;

function MySortProc(List: TStringList; Index1, Index2: Integer): Integer;
begin
  Result := Integer(List.Objects[Index1]) - Integer(List.Objects[Index2]);
end;

var
  SL: TStringList;
  i: Integer;
begin
  SL := TStringList.Create;
  try
    for i := 0 to 10 do
      SL.AddObject(Format('Item %d', [i]),  TObject(Random(i)));
    SL.CustomSort(@MySortProc);
    for i := 0 to SL.Count - 1 do
      WriteLn(Format('%d: %s', [Integer(SL.Objects[i]), SL[i]]));
    ReadLn;
  finally
    SL.Free;
  end;
end.

This produces