---
name: "Perl::Critic::Policy::BuiltinFunctions::RequireSimpleSortBlock"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-perl-critic"
version: "1.156-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Perl::Critic::Policy::BuiltinFunctions::RequireSimpleSortBlock"
---

# Perl::Critic::Policy::BuiltinFunctions::RequireSimpleSortBlock(3pm)

Sort blocks should have a single statement.

## NAME

Perl::Critic::Policy::BuiltinFunctions::RequireSimpleSortBlock - Sort blocks should have a single statement.

## AFFILIATION

This Policy is part of the core Perl::Critic distribution.

## DESCRIPTION

Conway advises that sort functions should be simple.  Any complicated operations on list elements should be computed and cached (perhaps via a Schwartzian Transform) before the sort, rather than computed inside the sort block, because the sort block is called `"N log N"` times instead of just `"N"` times.

This policy prohibits the most blatant case of complicated sort blocks: multiple statements.  Future policies may wish to examine the sort block in more detail -- looking for subroutine calls or large numbers of operations.

## CONFIGURATION

This Policy is not configurable except for the standard options.

## AUTHOR

Chris Dolan \<cdolan@cpan.org\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2006-2011 Chris Dolan.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.