Question

I have following code

def compare_and_swap(x, a, b):
    if x[a] > x[b]:
        x[a], x[b] = x[b], x[a]

def oddeven_merge(x, lo, hi, r):
    step = r * 2
    if step < hi - lo:
        oddeven_merge(x, lo, hi, step)
        oddeven_merge(x, lo + r, hi, step)
        for i in range(lo + r, hi - r, step):
            compare_and_swap(x, i, i + r)
    else:
        compare_and_swap(x, lo, lo + r)

def oddeven_merge_sort_range(x, lo, hi):
    """ sort the part of x with indices between lo and hi.

    Note: endpoints (lo and hi) are included.
    """
    if (hi - lo) >= 1:
        # if there is more than one element, split the input
        # down the middle and first sort the first and second
        # half, followed by merging them.
        mid = lo + ((hi - lo) / 2)
        oddeven_merge_sort_range(x, lo, mid)
        oddeven_merge_sort_range(x, mid + 1, hi)
        oddeven_merge(x, lo, hi, 1)

def oddeven_merge_sort(x):
    oddeven_merge_sort_range(x, 0, len(x)-1)

>>> data = [4, 3, 5, 6, 1, 7, 8]
>>> oddeven_merge_sort(data)
>>> data
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Everything is clear for me ,but only this line can’t understand well

 for i in range(lo + r, hi - r, step):

How can I read it using pseudo code?or in other languages for instance C++?

Answer 1

This equivalent to

for(int i=lo+r;i<(hi-r);i+=step)

in C (or C++, Java, C#, etc.)

(Note: this will only work if step is positive. If step is negative – i.e. lo+r>hi-r, you need change the check to i>(hi-r))

What it does is start a counter at lo+r, move it by step units until the counter equals or steps past hi-r.