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Push_swap
Because Swap_push isn’t as natural
Staff pedago pedago@42.fr
Summary:
This project will make you sort data on a stack, with a limited set of instructions, using
the lowest possible number of actions. To succeed you’ll have to manipulate various
types of algorithms and choose the one (of many) most appropriate solution for an
optimized data sorting.
Contents
I Foreword 2
II Introduction 4
III Objectives 5
IV General Instructions 6
V Mandatory part 8
V.1 Gamerules................................. 8
V.2 Example .................................. 9
V.3 The “checker” program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
V.4 The “push_swap” program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
VI Bonus part 13
VII Submission and peer correction 14
1
Chapter I
Foreword
•C
#include <stdio.h>
int main(void)
{
printf("hello, world\n");
return 0;
}
•ASM
cseg segment
assume cs:cseg, ds:cseg
org 100h
main proc
jmp debut
mess db 'Hello world!$'
debut:
mov dx, offset mess
mov ah, 9
int 21h
ret
main endp
cseg ends
end main
•LOLCODE
HAI
CAN HAS STDIO?
VISIBLE "HELLO WORLD!"
KTHXBYE
•PHP
<?php
echo "Hello world!";
?>
•BrainFuck
++++++++++[>+++++++>++++++++++>+++>+<<<<-]
>++.>+.+++++++..+++.>++.
<<+++++++++++++++.>.+++.------.--------.>+.>.
2
Push_swap Because Swap_push isn’t as natural
•C#
using System;
public class HelloWorld {
public static void Main () {
Console.WriteLine("Hello world!");
}
}
•HTML5
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Hello world !</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>Hello World !</p>
</body>
</html>
•YASL
"Hello world!"
print
•OCaml
let main () =
print_endline "Hello world !"
let _ = main ()
3
Chapter II
Introduction
The Push_swap project is a very simple and highly effective algorithm project: data will
need to be sorted. You have at your disposal a set of int values, 2 stacks and a set of
instructions to manipulate both stacks.
Your goal ? Write 2 programs in C:
•The first, named checker which takes integer arguments and reads instructions on
the standard output. Once read, checker executes them and displays OK if integers
are sorted. Otherwise, it will display KO.
•The second one called push_swap which calculates and displays on the standard
output the smallest progam using Push_swap instruction language that sorts inte-
ger arguments received.
Easy?
We’ll see about that...
4
Chapter III
Objectives
To write a sorting algorithm is always a very important step in a coder’s life, because it
is often the first encounter with the concept of complexity.
Sorting algorithms, and their complexities are part of the classic questions discussed
during job interviews. It’s probably a good time to look at these concepts because you’ll
have to face them at one point.
The learning objectives of this project are rigor, use of Cand use of basic algorithms.
Especially looking at the complexity of these basic algorithms.
Sorting values is simple. To sort them the fastest way possible is less simple, especially
because from one integers configuration to another, the most efficient sorting algorithm
can differ.
5
Chapter IV
General Instructions
•This project will only be corrected by actual human beings. You are therefore free
to organize and name your files as you wish, although you need to respect some
requirements listed below.
•The firts executable file must be named checker and the second push_swap.
•You must submit a Makefile. That Makefile needs to compile the project and
must contain the usual rules. It can only recompile the program if necessary.
•If you are clever, you will use your library for this project, submit also your folder
libft including its own Makefile at the root of your repository. Your Makefile
will have to compile the library, and then compile your project.
•Global variables are forbidden.
•Your project must be written in Cin accordance with the Norm.
•You have to handle errors in a sensitive manner. In no way can your program quit
in an unexpected manner (Segmentation fault, bus error, double free, etc).
•Neither program can have any memory leaks.
•You’ll have to submit at the root of your folder, a file called author containing your
username followed by a ’\n’
$>cat -e author
xlogin$
•Within your mandatory part you are allowed to use the following functions:
◦write
◦read
◦malloc
◦free
6
Push_swap Because Swap_push isn’t as natural
◦exit
•You can ask questions on the forum & Slack...
7
Chapter V
Mandatory part
V.1 Game rules
•The game is composed of 2 stacks named aand b.
•To start with:
◦acontains a random number of either positive or negative numbers without
any duplicates.
◦bis empty
•The goal is to sort in ascending order numbers into stack a.
•To do this you have the following operations at your disposal:
sa : swap a - swap the first 2 elements at the top of stack a. Do nothing if there
is only one or no elements).
sb : swap b - swap the first 2 elements at the top of stack b. Do nothing if there
is only one or no elements).
ss : sa and sb at the same time.
pa : push a - take the first element at the top of band put it at the top of a. Do
nothing if bis empty.
pb : push b - take the first element at the top of aand put it at the top of b. Do
nothing if ais empty.
ra : rotate a - shift up all elements of stack aby 1. The first element becomes
the last one.
rb : rotate b - shift up all elements of stack bby 1. The first element becomes
the last one.
rr : ra and rb at the same time.
rra : reverse rotate a - shift down all elements of stack aby 1. The flast element
becomes the first one.
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Push_swap Because Swap_push isn’t as natural
rrb : reverse rotate b - shift down all elements of stack bby 1. The flast element
becomes the first one.
rrr : rra and rrb at the same time.
V.2 Example
To illustrate the effect of some of these instructions, let’s sort a random list of integers.
In this example, we’ll consider that both stack are growing from the right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Init a and b:
2
1
3
6
8
5
_ _
a b
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exec sa:
1
2
3
6
8
5
_ _
a b
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exec pb pb pb:
6 3
5 2
8 1
_ _
a b
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exec ra rb (equiv. to rr):
5 2
8 1
6 3
_ _
a b
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exec rra rrb (equiv. to rrr):
6 3
5 2
8 1
_ _
a b
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exec sa:
5 3
6 2
8 1
_ _
a b
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exec pa pa pa:
1
2
3
5
6
8
_ _
9
Push_swap Because Swap_push isn’t as natural
a b
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This example sort integers from ain 12 instructions. Can you do better ?
10
Push_swap Because Swap_push isn’t as natural
V.3 The “checker” program
•You have to write a program named checker, which will get as an argument the
stack aformatted as a list of integers. The first argument should be at the top of
the stack (be careful about the order). If no argument is given checker stops and
displays nothing.
•Checker will then wait and read instructions on the standard input, each instruction
will be followed by ’\n’. Once all the instructions have been read, checker will
execute them on the stack received as an argument.
•If after executing those instructions, stack ais actually sorted and bis empty, then
checker must display "OK" followed by a ’\n’ on the standard output. In every
other case, checker must display "KO" followed by a ’\n’ on the standard output.
•In case of error, you must display Error followed by a ’\n’ on the standard error.
Errors include for example: some arguments are not integers, some arguments are
bigger than an integer, there are duplicates, an instruction don’t exist and/or is
incorrectly formatted.
Thanks to the checker program, you will be able to check if the
list of instructions you’ll generate with the program push_swap is
actually sorting the stack properly.
$>./checker 3 2 1 0
rra
pb
sa
rra
pa
OK
$>./checker 3 2 1 0
sa
rra
pb
KO
$>./checker 3 2 one 0
Error
$>
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Push_swap Because Swap_push isn’t as natural
V.4 The “push_swap” program
•You have to write a program named push_swap which will receive as an argument
the stack aformatted as a list of integers. The first argument should be at the top
of the stack (be careful about the order).
•The program must display the smallest list of instructions possible to sort the stack
a, the smallest number being at the top.
•Instructions must be separaed by a ’\n’ and nothing else.
•The goal is to sort the stack with the minimum possible number of operations.
During defence we’ll compare the number of instructions your program found with
a maximum number of operation tolerated. If your program either displays a list
too big or if the list isn’t sorted properly, you’ll get no points.
•In case of error, you must display Error followed by a ’\n’ on the standard error.
Errors include for example: some arguments aren’t integers, some arguments are
bigger than an integer, and/or there are duplicates.
$>./push_swap 2 1 3 6 5 8
sa
pb
pb
pb
sa
pa
pa
pa
$>./push_swap 0 one 2 3
Error
$>
During the defence we’ll use your two programs as follow:
$>ARG="4 67 3 87 23"; ./push_swap $ARG | wc -l
6
$>ARG="4 67 3 87 23"; ./push_swap $ARG | ./checker $ARG
OK
$>
If your program checker displays KO, it means that your push_swap came up with a
list of instructions that doesn’t sort the list.
12
Chapter VI
Bonus part
We will look at your bonus part if and only if your mandatory part is EXCELLENT.
This means that your must complete the mandatory part, beginning to end, and your
error management needs to be flawless, even in cases of twisted or bad usage. If that’s
not the case, your bonuses will be totally IGNORED.
Find below a few ideas of interesting bonuses you could create. Some could even
be useful. You can, of course, invent your own, which will then be evaluated by your
correctors if they feel like it.
Because of its simplicity, creative bonuses are not the strengths of the Push_swap
project. Here are some interesting, and useful, ideas though. You’re still free to imple-
ment bonuses of your own creation which will be evaluated by your correctors.
•Debug option -v that can display the stack’s status after each operation
•Colour option -c show in colours the last operation.
•As long as the mandatory part is compatible, you can add the reading and writing
part of instructions from a file.
13
Chapter VII
Submission and peer correction
Submit your work on your GiT repository as usual. Only the work on your repository
will be graded.
Good luck to all! And remember to push your author file!
14
