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Use an inline Comparator passed to Arrays.sort(), using either compareTo or compareToIgnoreCase(), depending on whether you want initial caps to be a determiner or not, then print as you already have.&nbsp; For the index of your 'klarte' target, obtain a List from Arrays.asList(), followed by indexOf(). Broadly speaking - I haven't tried it. 
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Contractor

Tore

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Very close CEHJ :) but unfortunately this construction swaps some of the elements It may be clearer when if we think of this as a table of surename [0][0], first name[0][1] <pre><code class="code-10 nolinks" id="code-20-43330676-1">import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Comparator;

public class TwoDimStringTable {
&nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; public static void main(String [] args) {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; int i = 0;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; String[][] sTabell = new String[8][2];
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[0][0] = &nbsp;"Ola"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;sTabell[0][1] = &nbsp;"Ola";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[1][0] = &nbsp;"var"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;sTabell[1][1] = &nbsp;"kunne";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[2][0] = &nbsp;"fra"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;sTabell[2][1] = &nbsp;"engelsk";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[3][0]= &nbsp; "Sandefjord"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[3][1]= &nbsp; "ei";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[4][0] = &nbsp;"Han"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;sTabell[4][1] = &nbsp;"men";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[5][0] = &nbsp;"var"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;sTabell[5][1] = &nbsp;"han";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[6][0] = &nbsp;"lettmatros"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[6][1] = &nbsp;"klarte";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[7][0] = &nbsp;"ombord!"; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;sTabell[7][1] = &nbsp;"seg";

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; for ( i = 0; i &lt;= sTabell.length-1; i++) {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; System.out.println(sTabell[i][0] + " &nbsp;" + sTabell[i][1]);
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; }
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; System.out.println(Arrays.deepToString(sTabell));
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; for (i = 0; i &lt; sTabell.length; i++) {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrays.sort(sTabell[i]);
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; }
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; System.out.println(Arrays.deepToString(sTabell));
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrays.sort(sTabell, new Comparator&lt;String[]&gt;() {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; public int compare(String[] r1, String[] r2) {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; return Arrays.compare(r1, r2);
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; }
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; });
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; System.out.println(Arrays.deepToString(sTabell));
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; for ( i = 0; i &lt;= sTabell.length-1; i++) {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; System.out.println("i = " + i + " " + sTabell[i][0] + " &nbsp;" + sTabell[i][1]);
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; }
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}
</code></pre>Running the above will result in &nbsp;the 4'th element will be [engelsk, fra], where it should be [fra, engelsk] The same happens with the 3 next rows. Last row is OK [ombord!, seg] Because of the swapping of the elements pr pair the order of rows will also be incorrect (sorry to say) However this is close :) Updates are much appreciated. 
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I'm confused ;) &quot;Swapping some of the elements&quot; is what happens when you sort the rows (if they are not already in alpha order)
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Sorry bout poor detailing If i have the list of surename and first name<div style="margin-left: 20px;">Jones &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom</div><div style="margin-left: 20px;">Windbag &nbsp; Harry</div><div style="margin-left: 20px;">Lazy &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Bob</div>and i want to sort the 2dim table based on surename, then i dont't want &nbsp;the list to look like &nbsp; &nbsp;Jones &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob<div style="margin-left: 20px;">Lazy &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tom</div><div style="margin-left: 20px;">Windbag &nbsp; Harry</div>Does this make more sense ?
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But you won’t if you use the code I posted.
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Well you can just omit the first of my sorts then. IOW sort the rows only and not the columns
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Jeezz... sorry bout that. Did not see it. My bad. You ar absolutely correct. Thanks for helping out
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<div class="content wysiwyg-content fr-view">
Trying to figure out how to sort a 2 dimensional String table, but it seems like all suggestions on the web is avoiding the problem.&nbsp;Arrays.sort(...) does not work well on string tableswas thinking of Arrays.binarySearch Do i have to in some way rely on ArrayList ?or am I barking up the wrong tree ?<pre><code class="code-10 nolinks" id="code-10-29223009-1">package no.test.basic.stringtable; 
import java.util.Arrays;

public class TwoDimStringTable {

&nbsp; &nbsp; public static void main(String [] args) {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; String[][] sTabell = new String[8][2];
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[0][0] = &nbsp;"Ola";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[1][0] = &nbsp;"var";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[2][0] = &nbsp;"fra";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[3][0]= &nbsp; "Sandefjord";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[4][0] = &nbsp;"Han";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[5][0] = &nbsp;"var";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[6][0] = &nbsp;"lettmatros";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[7][0] = &nbsp;"ombord!";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[0][1] = &nbsp;"Ola";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[1][1] = &nbsp;"kunne";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[2][1] = &nbsp;"engelsk";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[3][1]= &nbsp; "ei";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[4][1] = &nbsp;"men";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[5][1] = &nbsp;"han";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[6][1] = &nbsp;"klarte";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; sTabell[7][1] = &nbsp;"seg";
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; for (int i = 0; i &lt;= sTabell.length-1; i++) {
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; System.out.println(sTabell[i][0] + " &nbsp;" + sTabell[i][1]);
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; }&nbsp;
// what next for sorting 

// what next for searching for the string "klarte" to get position of element &nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;} &nbsp; 
}
</code></pre> 
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Trying to figure out how to sort a 2 dimensional String table, but it seems like all suggestions on the web is avoiding the problem. 
Arrays.sort(...) does not work well on string tables
was thinking of Arrays.binarySearch
Do i have to in some way rely on ArrayList ?
or am I barking up the wrong tree ?
package no.test.basic.stringtable;
import java.util.Arrays;

public class TwoDimStringTable {

    public static void main(String [] args) {
        String[][] sTabell = new String[8][2];
        sTabell[0][0] =  "Ola";
        sTabell[1][0] =  "var";
        sTabell[2][0] =  "fra";
        sTabell[3][0]=   "Sandefjord";
        sTabell[4][0] =  "Han";
        sTabell[5][0] =  "var";
        sTabell[6][0] =  "lettmatros";
        sTabell[7][0] =  "ombord!";
        sTabell[0][1] =  "Ola";
        sTabell[1][1] =  "kunne";
        sTabell[2][1] =  "engelsk";
        sTabell[3][1]=   "ei";
        sTabell[4][1] =  "men";
        sTabell[5][1] =  "han";
        sTabell[6][1] =  "klarte";
        sTabell[7][1] =  "seg";
        
        for (int i = 0; i <= sTabell.length-1; i++) {
            System.out.println(sTabell[i][0] + "  " + sTabell[i][1]);
        } 
// what next for sorting 

// what next for searching for the string "klarte" to get position of element   
      }   
}

Sort 2 dim String table + search for string

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