VBA array sort function?

Take a look here:
Edit: The referenced source (allexperts.com) has since closed, but here are the relevant author comments:

There are many algorithms available on the web for sorting. The most versatile and usually the quickest is the Quicksort algorithm. Below is a function for it.

Call it simply by passing an array of values (string or numeric; it doesn't matter) with the Lower Array Boundary (usually 0) and the Upper Array Boundary (i.e. UBound(myArray).)

Example: Call QuickSort(myArray, 0, UBound(myArray))

When it's done, myArray will be sorted and you can do what you want with it.
(Source: archive.org)

Public Sub QuickSort(vArray As Variant, inLow As Long, inHi As Long)
  Dim pivot   As Variant
  Dim tmpSwap As Variant
  Dim tmpLow  As Long
  Dim tmpHi   As Long

  tmpLow = inLow
  tmpHi = inHi

  pivot = vArray((inLow + inHi) \ 2)

  While (tmpLow <= tmpHi)
     While (vArray(tmpLow) < pivot And tmpLow < inHi)
        tmpLow = tmpLow + 1
     Wend

     While (pivot < vArray(tmpHi) And tmpHi > inLow)
        tmpHi = tmpHi - 1
     Wend

     If (tmpLow <= tmpHi) Then
        tmpSwap = vArray(tmpLow)
        vArray(tmpLow) = vArray(tmpHi)
        vArray(tmpHi) = tmpSwap
        tmpLow = tmpLow + 1
        tmpHi = tmpHi - 1
     End If
  Wend

  If (inLow < tmpHi) Then QuickSort vArray, inLow, tmpHi
  If (tmpLow < inHi) Then QuickSort vArray, tmpLow, inHi
End Sub

Note that this only works with single-dimensional (aka "normal"?) arrays. (There's a working multi-dimensional array QuickSort here.)


I converted the 'fast quick sort' algorithm to VBA, if anyone else wants it.

I have it optimized to run on an array of Int/Longs but it should be simple to convert it to one that works on arbitrary comparable elements.

Private Sub QuickSort(ByRef a() As Long, ByVal l As Long, ByVal r As Long)
    Dim M As Long, i As Long, j As Long, v As Long
    M = 4

    If ((r - l) > M) Then
        i = (r + l) / 2
        If (a(l) > a(i)) Then swap a, l, i '// Tri-Median Methode!'
        If (a(l) > a(r)) Then swap a, l, r
        If (a(i) > a(r)) Then swap a, i, r

        j = r - 1
        swap a, i, j
        i = l
        v = a(j)
        Do
            Do: i = i + 1: Loop While (a(i) < v)
            Do: j = j - 1: Loop While (a(j) > v)
            If (j < i) Then Exit Do
            swap a, i, j
        Loop
        swap a, i, r - 1
        QuickSort a, l, j
        QuickSort a, i + 1, r
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub swap(ByRef a() As Long, ByVal i As Long, ByVal j As Long)
    Dim T As Long
    T = a(i)
    a(i) = a(j)
    a(j) = T
End Sub

Private Sub InsertionSort(ByRef a(), ByVal lo0 As Long, ByVal hi0 As Long)
    Dim i As Long, j As Long, v As Long

    For i = lo0 + 1 To hi0
        v = a(i)
        j = i
        Do While j > lo0
            If Not a(j - 1) > v Then Exit Do
            a(j) = a(j - 1)
            j = j - 1
        Loop
        a(j) = v
    Next i
End Sub

Public Sub sort(ByRef a() As Long)
    QuickSort a, LBound(a), UBound(a)
    InsertionSort a, LBound(a), UBound(a)
End Sub

Explanation in German but the code is a well-tested in-place implementation:

Private Sub QuickSort(ByRef Field() As String, ByVal LB As Long, ByVal UB As Long)
    Dim P1 As Long, P2 As Long, Ref As String, TEMP As String

    P1 = LB
    P2 = UB
    Ref = Field((P1 + P2) / 2)

    Do
        Do While (Field(P1) < Ref)
            P1 = P1 + 1
        Loop

        Do While (Field(P2) > Ref)
            P2 = P2 - 1
        Loop

        If P1 <= P2 Then
            TEMP = Field(P1)
            Field(P1) = Field(P2)
            Field(P2) = TEMP

            P1 = P1 + 1
            P2 = P2 - 1
        End If
    Loop Until (P1 > P2)

    If LB < P2 Then Call QuickSort(Field, LB, P2)
    If P1 < UB Then Call QuickSort(Field, P1, UB)
End Sub

Invoked like this:

Call QuickSort(MyArray, LBound(MyArray), UBound(MyArray))

Dim arr As Object
Dim InputArray

'Creating a array list
Set arr = CreateObject("System.Collections.ArrayList")

'String
InputArray = Array("d", "c", "b", "a", "f", "e", "g")

'number
'InputArray = Array(6, 5, 3, 4, 2, 1)

' adding the elements in the array to array_list
For Each element In InputArray
    arr.Add element
Next

'sorting happens
arr.Sort

'Converting ArrayList to an array
'so now a sorted array of elements is stored in the array sorted_array.

sorted_array = arr.toarray