Java implementation of a Comparator that sorts a list of Objects (using Object.toString() ) alphanumerically (case-insensitive)

AlphaNumericSorter.java

import java.text.NumberFormat;
import java.text.ParseException;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Comparator;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * Sorts list of {@code Object} entries alphanumerically.
 */
public class AlphaNumericSorter {

    /**
     * Compare using the Object's toString() value
     */
    private static Comparator<Object> comp = new Comparator<Object>() {

        private NumberFormat nf = NumberFormat.getNumberInstance();

        @Override
        public int compare( Object lhs, Object rhs ) {
            // sort alphabetically...uncategorised always at the bottom
            String lhsTitle = lhs.toString();
            String rhsTitle = rhs.toString();
            if ( lhsTitle.equalsIgnoreCase( rhsTitle ) ) {
                // LHS == RHS
                return 0;
            } else {
                int retval = 0;
                final String[] lha = lhsTitle.split( "\\s+" ); // split into
                                                               // words
                final String[] rha = rhsTitle.split( "\\s+" ); // split into
                                                               // words
                for ( int i = 0; i < Math.max( lha.length, rha.length ); i++ ) {
                    if ( lha[i].equalsIgnoreCase( rha[i] ) ) {
                        retval = 0;
                    } else {
                        if ( isNumberic( lha[i] ) && isNumberic( rha[i] ) ) {
                            try {
                                final double lhd = nf.parse( lha[i] )
                                        .doubleValue();
                                final double rhd = nf.parse( rha[i] )
                                        .doubleValue();
                                if ( lhd > rhd ) {
                                    retval = 1;
                                    break;
                                } else {
                                    retval = -1;
                                    break;
                                }
                            } catch ( ParseException e ) {
                                // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                                e.printStackTrace();
                            }
                        } else {
                            retval = lha[i].compareToIgnoreCase( rha[i] );
                            if ( retval != 0 )
                                break;
                        }
                    }
                    //
                    if ( lha.length == rha.length )
                        continue;
                    if ( i + 1 == lha.length && lha.length < rha.length ) {
                        retval = -1;
                    } else if ( i + 1 == rha.length
                            && lha.length > rha.length ) {
                        retval = 1;
                    }
                }
                return retval;
                
            }
        }

        /**
         * Test {@code str} as a number
         * @param str the String to test
         * @return true if {@code str} is a number
         */
        private boolean isNumberic( final String str ) {
            boolean isNumberic = false;
            try {
                nf.parse( str );
                isNumberic = true;
            } catch ( Exception e ) {
            }
            return isNumberic;
        }
    };

    /**
     * Perform the sorting
     * @param unsorted the unsorted list
     * @param uncategorisedTitle the String used for uncategorised item category
     */
    public static void sort( final List<Object> unsorted,
            final String uncategorisedTitle ) {
        Collections.sort( unsorted, comp );
    }

}