DEF OF COLLATE MANUAL

In automatic systems this can be done using a binary search algorithm or interpolation search manual searching may be performed using a roughly similar procedure, though this will often be done unconsciously. The main advantage of collation is that it makes it fast and easy for a user to find an element in the list, or to confirm that it is absent from the list. When an order has been defined in this way, a sorting algorithm can be used to put a list of any number of items into that order. However, even if the order of the classes is irrelevant, the identifiers of the classes may be members of an ordered set, allowing a sorting algorithm to arrange the items by class.įormally speaking, a collation method typically defines a total order on a set of possible identifiers, called sort keys, which consequently produces a total preorder on the set of items of information (items with the same identifier are not placed in any defined order).Ī collation algorithm such as the Unicode collation algorithm defines an order through the process of comparing two given character strings and deciding which should come before the other. Collation is a fundamental element of most office filing systems, library catalogs, and reference books.Ĭollation differs from classification in that the classes themselves are not necessarily ordered. Many systems of collation are based on numerical order or alphabetical order, or extensions and combinations thereof. JSTOR ( March 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ĭollation is the assembly of written information into a standard order.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.

Def of collate