So, the problem asked us to sort ascendingly and descendingly four alphanumeric strings. We can't use array-like features and no built-in sorts (obviously) and used C++ to do it.
Now, the professor demonstrated a 'simple' way to do it, which to me looked too awful for any larger list than 4 (note: he did *not* present it as an all-around efficient way, just one way for our 4 item list).

I tried looking for this method all over the internet and can't find anything about it. I think I can't describe it well enough, and I don't know a name for it.
My problem with is that, as I *imagine* but can't quite know, it would take (n-1)! steps to sort through any list, almost guaranteed in an already sorted list, for example, and isn't as not-algorithmic-really as bogosort, at the same time.