PHP String Comparision - php

Question

I am using below PHP function in Behat Mink to check the Email column values are in ascending or descending order.But the problem is its always fails.I just want to check if the subject or From of Email column in all rows are in ascending and descending order.Is there are any other way to do this?
public function ValidateColumnSorting($Column, $order) {
$nodes = // Logic goes to retrieve all rows subject or from column value
if (strcasecmp($order, "asc") == 0)
{
for ($i = 1; $i < $sizeof($nodes); $i++)
{
if (strcasecmp($nodes[$i], $nodes[$i - 1]) >= 0)
{
print_r("Row " . $i - 1 . " val is " . $nodes[$i - 1]);
}
else if (strcasecmp($nodes[$i], $nodes[$i - 1]) < 0)
{
throw new Exception($Column . " column ascending sort order failed.".$nodes[$i] . " is less than " . $nodes[$i - 1]);
}
}
}
else
{
for ($i = 1; $i < $sizeof($nodes); $i++)
{
print_r($Column . " column row " . $i . " value is " . $nodes[$i]);
if (strcasecmp($nodes[$i], (string) $nodes[$i - 1]) <= 0) {
print_r($Column . " of Email is same");
} else if (strcasecmp($nodes[$i], $nodes[$i - 1]) > 0) {
throw new Exception($Column . " column descending sort order failed." . $nodes[$i] . " is greater than " . $nodes[$i - 1]);
}
}
}
}

Answer 1

Instead of checking for its order, you can directly sort it in ascending or descending order.
Pass subject or email array to sort() function
$fruits = array("lemon", "orange", "banana", "apple");
sort($fruits);
It will return the sorted array
fruits[0] = apple
fruits[1] = banana
fruits[2] = lemon
fruits[3] = orange
You don't need to do it manually.
Read more here http://in2.php.net/sort

Answer 2

Without thinking if there is a more Behat appropriate way of validating the order of elements, your code would probably fail due to $sizeof($nodes), try sizeof($nodes) instead.
In Behat, the approach I would take would be to create a generic step definition which could be re-used elsewhere...
Then I should see the "css_to_some_elements" ordered as:
| apple |
| banana |
| lemon |