From: kfrank29.c@googlemail.com   
      
   Hello Group!   
      
   The venerable qsort takes a takes a comparison function   
   that returns an integer less than, equal to, and greater   
   than zero for x < y, x == y, and x > y, respectively (where   
   x and y are the arguments of the comparison function).   
      
   But the standard library is based on boolean comparison   
   functions that are true for x < y, and false otherwise.   
      
   It seems to me that this introduces a modest inefficiency   
   when testing for equality, as you have to call the comparison   
   function twice, i.e., x == y if lessThan (x, y) and   
   lessThan (y, x) are both false.   
      
   Lots of times, e.g., for a multi-field struct, the cost of   
   executing (and the work of writing) a trivalent <, ==, >   
   comparison function is essentially the same as a that of   
   a typical lessThan function.  So why does the standard   
   library not support both versions, and instead give up   
   the potential benefit of the trivalent comparison?   
      
      
   Thanks for any wisdom.   
      
      
   K. Frank   
      
      
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