added a couple of helper functions to make it easier to compare values, implement Comparable and create Comparators

libraries/stdlib/src/Ordering.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package kotlin
+
+import java.lang.Iterable
+import java.util.Comparator
+import java.util.Comparator
+
+/**
+ * Helper method for implementing [[Comparable<T>]] methods using a list of functions
+ * to calculate the values to compare
+ */
+inline fun <T> compareBy(a: T?, b: T?, vararg functions: Function1<T,Any?>): Int {
+    if (a === b) return 0
+    if (a == null) return - 1
+    if (b == null) return 1
+    for (fn in functions) {
+        val v1 = fn(a)
+        val v2 = fn(b)
+        val diff = compareValues(v1, v2)
+        if (diff != null) return diff
+    }
+    return compareValues(a, b)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Compares the two values which may be [[Comparable]] otherwise
+ * the [[#hashCode()]] method is used as the difference
+ */
+inline fun <T> compareValues(a: T?, b: T?): Int {
+    if (a == null) return - 1
+    if (b == null) return 1
+    if (a is Comparable<T>) {
+        return a.compareTo(b)
+    }
+    if (a == b) {
+        return 0
+    }
+    if (a is Object && b is Object) {
+        val diff = a.hashCode() - b.hashCode()
+        return if (diff == 0) 1 else diff
+    } else {
+        // TODO???
+        return 1
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a comparator using the sequence of functions used to calcualte a value to compare on
+ */
+inline fun <T> comparator(vararg functions: Function1<T,Any?>): Comparator<T> {
+    return FunctionComparator<T>(functions)
+}
+
+private class FunctionComparator<T>(val functions: Array<Function1<T,Any?>>):  Comparator<T> {
+
+    fun toString(): String {
+        return "FunctionComparator${functions.toList()}"
+    }
+
+    override fun compare(o1: T?, o2: T?): Int {
+        // TODO compile error
+        //return compareBy<T>(o1, o2, functions)
+        throw UnsupportedOperationException("TODO")
+    }
+
+    override fun equals(obj: Any?): Boolean {
+        return this == obj
+    }
+}