How do I read in strings in alphabetical order nto an array?

Question

I've been trying this for awhile now, and I do remember seeing it in a book awhile back, but can't remember how, but I've been doing it from scratch, and it's getting long. I know the basic concept - read in the first thing to the array, after that check to see if new if smaller or bigger than last, if smaller, move it forward until the one in front(below) it is smaller, or if it hits zero. But I can't get the code very short at all... (pretty long so far and only partially working..)
Does anyone remmeber how to do this?

Answer 1

here's what I have so far:
     int findSpot(Person key)//make to just check to see if one before is smaller, if yes, -1, if no, just add to end
          int pos=0;
          Person tempPerson;
          Person tempPerson2;
     temp = new Person[MAX_ENTRIES];
          for( int index=0;index<count;index++)
               temp[index]=phones[index];
               System.out.println(temp[index]+ "and the index value is: " + index);
          /*need to have this read in where ever it is needed temp[count]=key;*/
          for( int index=1;index<=count;index++)
               pos=index;
               if((temp[pos-1].getName().compareTo(key.getName()))>0)
                    while(pos>0)
                         tempPerson2=temp[index];
                         System.out.println("PERSON2 = " + tempPerson2);
                         //System.out.println("IN WHILE!!!!!\nPOS = "+ pos);
                         tempPerson=temp[pos-1];
                         System.out.println(tempPerson.getName() + "(temp) is now assigned the value of " + temp[pos-1].getName()+ (pos-1));
                         System.out.println("\n\n temp[pos-1] = " +(pos-1) + temp[pos-1] + "\n\n");
                         System.out.println(temp[pos-1].getName()+ (pos-1) + " is assigned the value of (key)" + key.getName());
                         temp[pos-1]=key;
                         /*System.out.println(temp[pos] + ""+(pos) + "is assigned the value of (temp)" + tempPerson.getName());
                         System.out.println("\nshould be tom" + tempPerson2 + "\n");
                         //tempPerson2= tempPerson;
                         temp[pos]=tempPerson; //oh no! (vital
                         //now need to switch the su
                         while(pos>1)
                              //tempPerson2=temp[pos-1];
                              //System.out.println(tempPerson2.getName()+ (pos-1) + "(temp2) is assigned the value of " + temp[pos-1].getName()+ (pos-1));
                              System.out.println(temp[pos-1].getName() + ""+(pos-1) + "is assigned the value of (temp)" + tempPerson.getName());
                              temp[pos-1]=tempPerson;
                              System.out.println(temp[pos].getName() + ""+(pos) + "is assigned the value of (temp2)" + tempPerson2.getName());
                              temp[pos]=tempPerson2;//needs to be assigned 'tom'
                              pos--;
                         pos--;
               //else
               //temp[index]=key;
          count++;
          for( int index=0;index<count;index++)
               System.out.println("temp array = " + temp[index]);
               phones[index]=temp[index];
               return pos;
     }