Insertion Sort in M4

Published on 03 October 2025 (Updated: 03 October 2025)

Welcome to the Insertion Sort in M4 page! Here, you'll find the source code for this program as well as a description of how the program works.

Current Solution

divert(-1)
define(`show_usage',
`Usage: please provide a list of at least two integers to sort in the format "1, 2, 3, 4, 5"
m4exit(`1')')

dnl Reference: https://www.gnu.org/software/m4/manual/m4.html#index-array
dnl array_get(var_name, idx)
define(`array_get', `defn(format(``%s[%s]'', `$1', `$2'))')

dnl array_set(var_name, idx, value)
define(`array_set', `define(format(``%s[%s]'', `$1', `$2'), `$3')')

dnl is_valid(n)
define(`is_valid', `eval(regexp(`$1', `^\s*-?[0-9]+\s*$') >= 0)')

dnl parse_int_list(varname, args):
dnl   varname[length] = 0
dnl   foreach arg in args:
dnl     if not is_valid(arg):
dnl       Return 0
dnl     varname[varname[length]] = arg
dnl     varname[length] = varname[length] + 1
dnl   Return 1
define(`parse_int_list',
`array_set(`$1', `length', 0)dnl
_parse_int_list(`$1', $2)'dnl
)
define(`_parse_int_list',
`ifelse(is_valid(`$2'), 0, `0',
`array_set(`$1', array_get(`$1', `length'), `$2')dnl
array_set(`$1', `length', incr(array_get(`$1', `length')))dnl
ifelse(eval($# > 2), 1, `_parse_int_list(`$1', shift(shift($@)))', `1')'dnl
)'dnl
)

dnl show_int_list(varname):
dnl   for i = 0 to n-1:
dnl      if i > 0:
dnl        Output ", "
dnl      Output varname[i]
define(`show_int_list', `_show_int_list(`$1', 0)')
define(`_show_int_list',
`ifelse(eval($2 < array_get(`$1', `length')), 1,
`ifelse(eval($2 > 0), 1, `, ')dnl
array_get(`$1', $2)`'dnl
_show_int_list(`$1', incr($2))'`'dnl
)'dnl
)

dnl Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insertion_sort#Algorithm
dnl for i = 1 to n-1:
dnl   x = varname[i]
dnl   j = i
dnl   while j > 0 and varname[j-1] > x:
dnl     varname[j] = varname[j-1]
dnl     j = j - 1
dnl   varname[j] = x
define(`insertion_sort',`_insertion_sort_outer(`$1', 1)')
define(`_insertion_sort_outer',
`ifelse(eval($2 < array_get(`$1', `length')), 1,
`_insertion_sort_inner(`$1', $2, array_get(`$1', $2))dnl
_insertion_sort_outer(`$1', incr($2))'dnl
)'dnl
)

define(`_insertion_sort_inner',
`ifelse(eval($2 <= 0), 1, `array_set(`$1', `$2', `$3')',
`ifelse(eval(array_get(`$1', decr($2)) < $3), 1, `array_set(`$1', `$2', `$3')',
`array_set(`$1', $2, array_get(`$1', decr($2)))dnl
_insertion_sort_inner(`$1', decr($2), `$3')'dnl
)'dnl
)'dnl
)

divert(0)dnl
ifelse(eval(ARGC < 1 || len(ARGV1) < 1 || !parse_int_list(`arr', ARGV1)), 1, `show_usage()')dnl
ifelse(eval(array_get(`arr', `length') < 2), 1, `show_usage()')dnl
insertion_sort(`arr')dnl
show_int_list(`arr')

Insertion Sort in M4 was written by:

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How to Implement the Solution

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How to Run the Solution

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