Imports System
Class MatrixColumnSorter
Private Shared Sub SortColumns(ByVal matrix As String(,))
Dim rows As Integer = matrix.GetLength(0)
Dim cols As Integer = matrix.GetLength(1)
For col As Integer = 0 To cols - 1
Dim column As String() = New String(rows - 1) {}
For row As Integer = 0 To rows - 1
column(row) = matrix(row, col)
Next
Array.Sort(column)
For row As Integer = 0 To rows - 1
matrix(row, col) = column(row)
Next
Next
End Sub
Private Shared Sub PrintMatrix(ByVal matrix As String(,))
Dim rows As Integer = matrix.GetLength(0)
Dim cols As Integer = matrix.GetLength(1)
For row As Integer = 0 To rows - 1
For col As Integer = 0 To cols - 1
Console.Write(matrix(row, col) & " ")
Next
Console.WriteLine()
Next
End Sub
Public Shared Sub Main()
Dim matrix As String(,) = {
{"ccc", "zzzz", "x"},
{"eeee", "aaa", "ffff"},
{"uu", "hhh", "uuu"},
{"bbb", "gg", "yyyyyy"}}
Console.WriteLine("Original Matrix:")
PrintMatrix(matrix)
SortColumns(matrix)
Console.WriteLine(Environment.NewLine & "Sorted Matrix:")
PrintMatrix(matrix)
End Sub
End Class
' run
'
' Original Matrix:
' ccc zzzz x
' eeee aaa ffff
' uu hhh uuu
' bbb gg yyyyyy
'
' Sorted Matrix:
' bbb aaa ffff
' ccc gg uuu
' eeee hhh x
' uu zzzz yyyyyy
'
