Sorting Steps

[Pedroski55]

You could try this, it seems to work. This doesn't have any if logic that I do not understand.

from random import randint

# see if a list is in descending order
# shortcut out of the loop if True
def checkOrder(alist):
    for i in range(len(alist) - 1):
        if not alist[i] >= alist[i+1]:
            return False        
    return True

# zero is at position 0 at the start
def swap(alist):
    if not alist[0] == 0:
        print('This is if not alist[0] == 0 ... ')
        temp = alist[0]
        #index0 = alist.index(0)
        index_max = alist.index(max(alist))
        final.append(alist[index_max])
        alist[0] = alist[index_max]
        alist[index_max] = temp
        print(f'current list = {alist}, final = {final}')
    else:
        print('This is else: alist[0] == 0 ... ')
        index_max = alist.index(max(alist))
        temp = alist[index_max]
        alist[index_max] = 0
        alist[0] = temp
        final.append(temp)
        print(f'current list = {alist}, final = {final}')        
    return alist[1:len(alist)]
    

def loop(nl, moves):
    while len(nl) >= 2:
        print(f'nl before swap = {nl}')
        nl = swap(nl)
        if checkOrder(nl):
            for n in range(len(nl)-1):
                final.append(nl[n])
            moves +=1
            print(f'nl after swap and checkOrder() = {nl}, final = {final}, moves = {moves}')
            return
        moves +=1
        print(f'nl after swap = {nl}, final = {final}, moves = {moves}')
    return

for j in range(3):
    print(f'\nloop {j+1}\n')
    #frogs = [randint(1, 10) for i in range(6)]
    frogs = [randint(1, 15) for i in range(15)]
    frogs.insert(0, 0)
    nl = frogs.copy()
    final = [0]
    moves = 0
    loop(nl, moves)