Insertion-sort error in Python

Question

I am trying to make an insertion sorting program that sorted a list in ascending order. I'm getting the error:

line 16, in <module> if listNums[x] < listNums[i]:

For this program:

    listNums = [54, 21, 76, 43, 65, 98, 65, 32, 34, 38]

    x = 1
    i = 0
    Copy = 0

    for z in range (0, len(listNums)):
           if listNums[x] < listNums[i]:
                  Copy = listNums[i]
                  listNums[i] = listNums[x]
                  listNums[x] = Copy
           i = i + 1
           x = x + 1

    print(listNums)

What is the actual text of the rror you are getting?

Amber
– Amber

2016-09-05 23:48:17 +00:00
Commented Sep 5, 2016 at 23:48 — Amber
– Amber, Commented Sep 5, 2016 at 23:48
the bisect module will do all the work for you...

thebjorn
– thebjorn

2016-09-06 00:08:10 +00:00
Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 0:08 — thebjorn
– thebjorn, Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 0:08

Amber · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-05 23:49:31Z

1

Chances are it's a bounds error because x eventually increments up to len(listNums) which is 1 beyond the bounds of the zero-indexed array.

Try only iterating through range(0, len(listNums)-1).

answered Sep 5, 2016 at 23:49

Amber

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Comments

auden · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-06 01:28:39Z

0

I'd just like to point out that there is a better way to do it, namely

listNums = [54, 21, 76, 43, 65, 98, 65, 32, 34, 38]

listNums.sort()
print listNums

which gives

[21, 32, 34, 38, 43, 54, 65, 65, 76, 98]
=> None

(compiled on repl.it)

Hope this helps!

answered Sep 6, 2016 at 1:28

auden

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Comments

optimusprime · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-07 07:31:11Z

0

This is not an insertion sort error In the last iteration i.e. len(listNums)th iteration, the value of x goes beyond the length of list that's why it gives IndexError: list index out of range

edited Sep 7, 2016 at 7:31

answered Sep 7, 2016 at 7:21

optimusprime

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