selection-sort.js

/*jslint for:true */
"use strict";
/*The selection sort algorithm sorts an array by repeatedly finding the minimum element
 *(considering ascending order) from unsorted part and putting it at the beginning. The
 *algorithm maintains two subarrays in a given array.
 *1) The subarray which is already sorted.
 *2) Remaining subarray which is unsorted.
 *
 *In every iteration of selection sort, the minimum element (considering ascending order)
 *from the unsorted subarray is picked and moved to the sorted subarray.
 */
var console;
function selectionSort(items) {
    var i;
    var min;
    var j;
    var tmp;
    var length = items.length;
    for (i = 0; i < length - 1; i += 1) {
        //Number of passes
        min = i; //min holds the current minimum number position for each pass; i holds the Initial min number
        for (j = i + 1; j < length; j += 1) { //Note that j = i + 1 as we only need to go through unsorted array
            if (items[j] < items[min]) { //Compare the numbers
                min = j; //Change the current min number position if a smaller num is found
            }
        }
        if (min !== i) {
            //After each pass, if the current min num != initial min num, exchange the position.
            //Swap the numbers
            tmp = items[i];
            items[i] = items[min];
            items[min] = tmp;
        }
    }
}

//Implementation of Selection Sort

var ar = [5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2, 12, 14];
//Array before Sort
console.log(ar);
selectionSort(ar);
//Array after sort
console.log(ar);