Python: Sort unsorted strings using natural sort

Python Search and Sorting : Exercise-38 with Solution

Write a Python program to sort unsorted strings using natural sort.

Natural sort order is an ordering of strings in alphabetical order, except that multi-digit numbers are treated atomically, i.e., as if they were a single character. Natural sort order has been promoted as being more human-friendly ("natural") than the machine-oriented pure alphabetical order.
For example, in alphabetical sorting "z11" would be sorted before "z2" because "1" is sorted as smaller than "2", while in natural sorting "z2" is sorted before "z11" because "2" is sorted as smaller than "11".
Alphabetical sorting:
z11
z2
Natural sorting:
z2
z11

Sample Solution:

Python Code:

#Ref.https://bit.ly/3a657IZ
from __future__ import annotations
import re
def natural_sort(input_list: list[str]) -> list[str]:
    def alphanum_key(key):
        return [int(s) if s.isdigit() else s.lower() for s in re.split("([0-9]+)", key)]
    return sorted(input_list, key=alphanum_key)
strs = ['2 ft 7 in', '1 ft 5 in', '10 ft 2 in', '2 ft 11 in', '7 ft 6 in']
print("\nOriginal list:")
print(strs)
natural_sort(strs)
print("Sorted order is:", strs)
strs =  ['1 ft 5 in', '10 ft 2 in', '2 ft 11 in', '2 ft 7 in', '7 ft 6 in']
print("\nOriginal list:")
print(strs)
natural_sort(strs)
print("Sorted order is:", strs)
strs =  ['Elm11', 'Elm12', 'Elm2', 'elm0', 'elm1', 'elm10', 'elm13', 'elm9']
print("\nOriginal list:")
print(strs)
natural_sort(strs)
print("Sorted order is:", strs)
strs =   ['Elm11', 'Elm12', 'Elm2', 'elm0', 'elm1', 'elm10', 'elm13', 'elm9']
print("\nOriginal list:")
print(strs)
natural_sort(strs)
print("Sorted order is:", strs) 

Sample Output:

Original list:
['2 ft 7 in', '1 ft 5 in', '10 ft 2 in', '2 ft 11 in', '7 ft 6 in']
Sorted order is: ['2 ft 7 in', '1 ft 5 in', '10 ft 2 in', '2 ft 11 in', '7 ft 6 in']

Original list:
['1 ft 5 in', '10 ft 2 in', '2 ft 11 in', '2 ft 7 in', '7 ft 6 in']
Sorted order is: ['1 ft 5 in', '10 ft 2 in', '2 ft 11 in', '2 ft 7 in', '7 ft 6 in']

Original list:
['Elm11', 'Elm12', 'Elm2', 'elm0', 'elm1', 'elm10', 'elm13', 'elm9']
Sorted order is: ['Elm11', 'Elm12', 'Elm2', 'elm0', 'elm1', 'elm10', 'elm13', 'elm9']

Original list:
['Elm11', 'Elm12', 'Elm2', 'elm0', 'elm1', 'elm10', 'elm13', 'elm9']
Sorted order is: ['Elm11', 'Elm12', 'Elm2', 'elm0', 'elm1', 'elm10', 'elm13', 'elm9']

Flowchart:

Python Code Editor:

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