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  <refentry id="function.natsort">
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>natsort</refname>
    <refpurpose>
     Sort an array using a "natural order" algorithm
    </refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>
   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>
     <methodsynopsis>
      <type>void</type><methodname>natsort</methodname>
      <methodparam><type>array</type><parameter>&amp;array</parameter></methodparam>
     </methodsynopsis>
    <para>
     This function implements a sort algorithm that orders
     alphanumeric strings in the way a human being would while maintaining
     key/value associations. This is described as a "natural ordering".  An
     example of the difference between this algorithm and the regular computer
     string sorting algorithms (used in <function>sort</function>) can be seen
     below:
    </para>
    <para>
     <example>
      <title><function>natsort</function> example</title>
      <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$array1 = $array2 = array("img12.png", "img10.png", "img2.png", "img1.png");

sort($array1);
echo "Standard sorting\n";
print_r($array1);

natsort($array2);
echo "\nNatural order sorting\n";
print_r($array2);
?>
]]>
      </programlisting>
      <para>
       The code above will generate the following output:
      </para>
      <screen>
<![CDATA[
Standard sorting
Array
(
    [0] => img1.png
    [1] => img10.png
    [2] => img12.png
    [3] => img2.png
)

Natural order sorting
Array
(
    [3] => img1.png
    [2] => img2.png
    [1] => img10.png
    [0] => img12.png
)
]]>
      </screen>
      <para>
       For more information see: Martin Pool's <ulink
       url="&url.strnatcmp;">Natural Order String Comparison</ulink>
       page.
      </para>
     </example>
    </para>
    <para>
     See also <function>natcasesort</function>,
     <function>strnatcmp</function>, and
     <function>strnatcasecmp</function>.
    </para>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

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