Rainbow Sorting 🍭

A Python application that visualizes how sorting algorithms work, painting every array element with a smooth rainbow of RGB colours.

Each value in the array is drawn as a vertical bar whose height encodes the value and whose colour is taken from a continuous RGB gradient. As an algorithm runs, you can watch the bars swap and settle into place in real time, with a live counter of array accesses and (optionally) sound generated from each move.

Features

• Real-time visualization of several classic sorting algorithms.
• Full-colour RGB gradient mapping for every array element.
• Live array-access counter and on-screen algorithm/size information.
• Optional sound generation, where each moved element plays a tone based on its value.
• Configurable array size and algorithm, all from a single file.

Implemented algorithms

The following algorithms are implemented in Sorting_Algorithms.py:

#	Algorithm
1	Insertion Sort
2	Cocktail Shaker Sort
3	Bubble Sort
4	Tim Sort
5	Cycle Sort

Two extra visualization modes are also included:

#	Mode
6	Rotation
7	Elements Increaser

A few examples

Insertion Sort	Bubble Sort

Cocktail Shaker Sort	Tim Sort

Requirements

• Windows — the app relies on ctypes.windll and winsound, so it is designed to run on Windows.
• Python 3.7+
• PyGame, NumPy and PyAudio

Installation

Use the package manager pip to install the dependencies:

pip install pygame numpy pyaudio

Usage

Run the application with Python 3.7 or newer:

python Main.py

To change the array size, the algorithm or the sound, edit the configuration constants at the top of Main.py:

ARRAY_SIZE = 1024  # Number of elements. Max value is 10000.
AL = 4             # 1: Insertion Sort, 2: Cocktail Shaker Sort, 3: Bubble Sort,
                   # 4: Tim Sort, 5: Cycle Sort, 6: Rotation, 7: Elements Increaser.
SOUND = False      # Play a tone on each move. Sound works fully on Insertion Sort.

Note: When using Tim Sort (AL = 4), ARRAY_SIZE must be a power of two (e.g. 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024).

Controls

Key	Action
Esc	Quit the application

How to add more algorithms

You just have to follow this pattern for any other algorithm that you want to implement. In Sorting_Algorithms.py:

def Sorting_Algorithm(Array):  # Example algorithm, without visualization.
    # Here goes the sorting operations.
    return Array

def Sorting_Algorithm(MyArray, Win, Font):
    """
    Here goes the sorting operations.
    Change every part where you are using Array,
    and replace it by MyArray.Array (except the return).
    Every time your algorithm accesses the array,
    add this code to visualize the changes:
    """
    # Add to this list the elements that you are moving on this step.
    MyArray.Moving_Elements = [a, b, c, d]
    KEY = KEY_PRESSED()
    if KEY == "QUIT":
        pygame.quit()
        sys.exit()
    else:
        MyArray.Draw(Win, Font)
    # ...
    MyArray.isSorted = True
    return MyArray

Finally, go to Main.py and add your algorithm to the import at the top:

from Sorting_Algorithms import InsertionSort, CocktailShakerSort, BubbleSort, TimSort

Project structure

File	Purpose
Main.py	Entry point and configuration.
Sorting_Algorithms.py	Implementations of the sorting algorithms and visualization modes.
Array_GUI.py	The Visualized_Array class: colour mapping and rendering.
GUI_Functions.py	Keyboard input handling.
Sound_Generator.py	Tone generation for the sound feature.
Exceptions.py	Custom exceptions.