python how to sort a list of list of int, str [closed]

Answer 1

Well, you could use the sort() method:

lst = [[1, 'orange'], [3, 'banana'], [2, 'pear'], [1, 'apple']]
lst.sort(key=lambda x: (-x[0], x[1]))

lst
=> [[3, 'banana'], [2, 'pear'], [1, 'apple'], [1, 'orange']]

If that method isn't allowed either, you could write your own sorting procedure with the corresponding comparator:

def compare(x, y):
    return -cmp(x[0], y[0]) or cmp(x[1], y[1])

def quicksort(lst):
    if not lst:
        return []
    return (quicksort([x for x in lst[1:] if compare(x, lst[0]) <  0])
            + [lst[0]] + 
            quicksort([x for x in lst[1:] if compare(x, lst[0]) >= 0]))

quicksort([[1, 'orange'], [3, 'banana'], [2, 'pear'], [1, 'apple']])
=> [[3, 'banana'], [2, 'pear'], [1, 'apple'], [1, 'orange']]