http://stackoverflow.com/questions/25396760

SO25396760.java

package com.flyingspaniel.xen;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Comparator;

/**
 * @author Morgan Conrad
 * @see <a href="http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT">This software is released under the MIT License</a>
 * @since Copyright (c) 2014 by Morgan Conrad
 */
public class SO25396760 implements Comparator<String> {

   @Override
   public int compare(String s1, String s2) {
      int minLength = Math.min(s1.length(), s2.length());
      int result = s1.substring(0, minLength).compareTo(s2.substring(0, minLength));
      if (result != 0)
         return result;

      int lenDiff = s1.length() - s2.length();
      if (lenDiff == 0)
         return 0;  // Strings are equal

      if (lenDiff < 0)
         return compare(s1, s2.substring(minLength));
      else
         return compare(s1.substring(minLength), s2);
   }


   public static void main(String[] args) {
      String[] array = {"321","3","35", "321334", "333", "2"};
      SO25396760 sorter = new SO25396760();
      Arrays.sort(array, sorter);
      System.out.println(Arrays.toString(array));   // [2, 321, 321334, 3, 333, 35]

      String result = "";
      for (String s : array)
         result += s;

      System.out.println(result);    // 2321321334333335
   }
}