C program to sort the elements of an array in ascending order

This C program is to sort the elements of an array in ascending order.For example, if an array a consists of elements a={7,8,12,3} , then on sorting in ascending order we would get a={3,7,8,12}.

 Logic

We use two for loops, the outer for loop for traversing all the elements and the inner(nested) for loop for comparing the element with all of the inner elements and then performing swap operation

Dry Run of the Program

Take input array ‘a’ and no of elements(n) as 4

Let us take elements for array a={7,8,12,3}.

1st iteration for(i=0;i<n;i++) i.e. for(i=0;0<4;i++)   – Outer for loop

1st iteration for(j=i+1;j<n;j++)  i.e. for(j=1;1<4;j++)  – Inner for loop

if(a[i]>a[j])  i.e. if(a[0]>a[1]) i.e. if(7>8)  false

2nd iteration for(j=i+1;j<n;j++)  i.e. for(j=2;2<4;j++)  – Inner for loop

if(a[i]>a[j])  i.e. if(a[0]>a[1]) i.e. if(7>12)  false

3rd iteration for(j=i+1;j<n;j++)  i.e. for(j=3;3<4;j++)  – Inner for loop

if(a[i]>a[j])  i.e. if(a[0]>a[1]) i.e. if(7>3)  true

temp=a[i];  i.e. temp=a[0]  i.e. temp=7

a[i]=a[j];  i.e. a[0]=a[3] i.e. a[0]=3

a[j]=temp; i.e. a[3]=7

So now are array is a={3,8,12,7}

2nd iteration for(i=1;i<n;i++) i.e. for(i=1;1<4;i++)   – Outer for loop

1st iteration for(j=i+1;j<n;j++)  i.e. for(j=2;2<4;j++)  – Inner for loop

if(a[i]>a[j])  i.e. if(a[1]>a[2]) i.e. if(8>12)  false

2nd iteration for(j=i+1;j<n;j++)  i.e. for(j=2;2<4;j++)  – Inner for loop

if(a[i]>a[j])  i.e. if(a[1]>a[3]) i.e. if(8>7) true

temp=a[i];  i.e. temp=a[1]  i.e. temp=8

a[i]=a[j];  i.e. a[1]=a[3] i.e. a[1]=7

a[j]=temp; i.e. a[3]=8

So now are array is a={3,7,12,8}

3rd iteration for(i=2;i<n;i++) i.e. for(i=2;2<4;i++)   – Outer for loop

1st iteration for(j=i+1;j<n;j++)  i.e. for(j=3;3<4;j++)  – Inner for loop

if(a[i]>a[j])  i.e. if(a[2]>a[3]) i.e. if(12>8)  true

temp=a[i];  i.e. temp=a[2]  i.e. temp=12

a[i]=a[j];  i.e. a[2]=a[3] i.e. a[2]=8

a[j]=temp; i.e. a[3]=12

So now are array is a={3,7,8,12}

Hence we have sorted the elements in ascending order a={3,7,8,12}.

Program

#include<stdio.h>

void  main()
{
    int i,j,n,a[100],temp;

    printf("Enter the number of elements:\n") ;
    scanf("%d",&n) ;
 
    printf("Enter the elements\n") ;
    for(i=0;i<n;i++)
    {
        scanf("%d",&a[i]) ;
    }
    
    for(i=0;i<n;i++)
    {
        for(j=i+1;j<n;j++)
        {
            if(a[i]>a[j])
            {
                temp=a[i];
                a[i]=a[j];
                a[j]=temp;
            }
        }
    }
    printf("Elements sorted in ascending order are\n");
    for(i=0;i<n;i++)
    {
        printf("%d ",a[i]) ;
    }
}

Output