>>158Your question is irritatingly in the realm of absolutes. A suitable response is: ``Why would you think it's a good idea to implement only one sorting algorithm for all data structures in your program, and always use that algorithm no matter what you know about the data? To have a simple consequence, this would lead you to discount radix sort for some perfectly-formatted representation of a collection of integers just because you already have a comparison-based sort written.''
Unless you are selectively ignoring what I say, you can't believe that I write a new sorting algorithm for every collection of data my programs use. If you are selectively ignoring what I say, there's no point in any response. If you aren't, then since you're asking me about an extreme view I don't hold, we are common ground, and there is a point in my responding, to say ``okay.'' and acknowledge that. So: Okay.