#!/user/bin/perl

use warnings;
use strict;

my @dates = (
    '01-31 01:33',
    '01-30 22:10',
    '01-12 05:59',
    '01-02 01:33',
    '01-24 01:42',
    '01-12 05:56',
);

print "The dates to be sorted are:\n";
my $numDates = scalar(@dates);
my $colCount = 0;
for(my $i = 0; $i < $numDates; $i++){
   $colCount++;
   if($colCount > 3){
      $colCount = 1;
      print "\n";
   } # end if
   print "   $dates[$i]";
} # end for $i loop
print "\n";


my @sortedDates = sort mySort @dates;

print "The sorted dates are:\n";
$numDates = scalar(@dates);
$colCount = 0;
for(my $i = 0; $i < $numDates; $i++){
   $colCount++;
   if($colCount > 3){
      $colCount = 1;
      print "\n";
   } # end if
   print "   $dates[$i]";
} # end for $i loop
print "\n";





exit(0);



sub mySort {
     my($part1a,$part2a) = split(/\s+/,$a);
     my($part1b,$part2b) = split(/\s+/,$b);
     my($mon_a,$day_a)   = split(/-/,$part1a);
     my($mon_b,$day_b)   = split(/-/,$part1b);
     my($hr_a,$min_a)     = split(/:/,$part2a);
     my($hr_b,$min_b)    = split(/:/,$part2b);
     return 0 if($a eq $b);
     if($mon_a == $mon_b) {
        if($day_a == $day_b) {
           if($hr_a == $hr_b) {
              return ($min_a <=> $min_b);
           } elsif($hr_a < $hr_b) {
              return -1;
           } else {
              return 1;
           }
        } elsif($day_a < $day_b) {
           return -1;
        } else {
           return 1;
        }
     } elsif($mon_a < $mon_b) {
        return -1;
     } else {
        return 1;
     }
} # end sub mySort()