Selection Sort

src/headers/selection.h

#ifndef SELECTIONSORT
#define SELECTIONSORT

#include <strings.h>
#include <stdio.h>

char** ssort(const unsigned int count, char** values);

unsigned int findSmallest(const unsigned int items, char** values);

char** swapValues(const unsigned int from, 
                  const unsigned int to,
                  char** values);

void printList(const unsigned int idx, 
               const unsigned int count, 
               char** values);
#endif

src/selection.c

#include <selection.h>
/*
 * This method will sort the list of items that it is given using the simple
 * selection sort, very similar to the insert sort except it will 'select'
 * the highest value rather than insert the value where it best fits.
 */
char** ssort(const unsigned int count, char** values) {
  unsigned int i, j;
  printf("sorting a list of %i values", count);
  for(i = 0; i < count - 1; i++) {
    printList(i, count, values);
    swapValues(findSmallest(count - i, &values[i]), 0, &values[i]);
  }
  printf("\nsorting %i items required %i selects", count, count - 1);
  return values;
}

void printList(const unsigned int idx, const unsigned int count, 
        char** values) {
  unsigned int j;
  printf("\n%i:\tcurrent list: ", idx);
  for(j = 0; j < count - 1; j++) {
    printf("%s, ", values[j]);
  }
  printf("%s", values[j]);
}

unsigned int findSmallest(const unsigned int items, char** values) {
  char* tmp;
  unsigned int i, chosen = 0;
  for(i = 0; i < items; i++) {
    if(strcmp(values[chosen], values[i]) > 0) {
      chosen = i;
    }
  }
  printf(" : smallest value %s, %i comparisons", values[chosen], items);
  return chosen;
}

char** swapValues(const unsigned int from, const unsigned int to, 
        char** values) {
  char* tmp = values[to];
  values[to] = values[from];
  values[from] = tmp;
  return values;
}