i have an array of hashrefs to sort by one of the values. sounds simple, but i need to do a 2-level sort on the contents of a string ...

it sounds like a job for the Schwartzian Transform, but i'm at a loss on how to build the temp array/hash then reconstruct the original.

the values i need to sort on look like this: 


size: L, color: White
size: M, color: Orange
size: M, color: White
size: M, color: White
size: S, color: Orange
size: S, color: White
size: Xl, color: Orange
size: Xl, color: White
size: Xl, color: White

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I need to sort the array of hashrefs by color, then by size, but since (obviously) S should come before M ... an alpha or ascii sort won't work. i *think* i need a mapping hash also.

i have the regex to get the values out of the string ... but now, how to apply that into a Schwartzian and reconstruct? 

my $string = $element->{description};
$string  =~ m!\w+:\s(\w+),\s\w+:\s(\w+)!;

[download]
where $2 would be the first sort criteria, $1 the second ... so that i end up with ordering like: 

size: S, color: Orange
size: S, color: White
size: M, color: Orange
size: M, color: White
size: M, color: White
size: L, color: White
size: Xl, color: Orange
size: Xl, color: White

[download]

In reply to complicated sorting issue by geektron

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