Paul Rubin wrote:
I still have never understood why cmp was removed. Sure, key is more convenient a lot (or maybe most) of the time, but it's not always.
Not just more convenient. cmp will always be N log N, in that _every_ comparison runs your function, while key is linear, in that it is run once per element. Most cases are moreeasily done with key, and it is a good idea to make the most accessible way to a sort be the most efficient one. In the rare case that you really want each comparison, the cmp-injection function will do nicely (and can be written as a recipe. In short, make the easy path the fast path, and more will use it; provide two ways, and the first that springs to mind is the one used. --Scott David Daniels scott.dani...@acm.org -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
