# Ordering relations between non-numbers

**URL:** <https://racket.discourse.group/t/ordering-relations-between-non-numbers/4040>\
**Category:** Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [December 10, 2025, 11:22am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/ordering-relations-between-non-numbers/4040 "2025-12-10T11:22:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![meijeru](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/meijeru/32/2518_2.png) [@meijeru](https://racket.discourse.group/u/meijeru)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 11:22am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/ordering-relations-between-non-numbers/4040/1 "2025-12-10T11:22:45Z")

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I would like to be able to compare two lists, strings, and in general sequences for their ordering: smaller than or greater than. I don't see a procedure for that in the current version.

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**Author:** ![EmEf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/53a042/32.png) [@EmEf](https://racket.discourse.group/u/EmEf)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 11:47am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/ordering-relations-between-non-numbers/4040/2 "2025-12-10T11:47:59Z")

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Do you mean something like this:

```scheme
#lang racket

(provide
 (contract-out
  [<-anything (-> sequence? sequence? (-> any/c any/c boolean?) boolean?)]))

(define (<-anything seq1 seq2 <)
  (for/and ([s seq1] [t seq2]) (< s t)))

(module+ test
  (require rackunit)
  (require (submod ".."))
  
  (<-anything 1 2 <) ;; these are strange sequences 
  (<-anything "1" "2" char<?)
  (<-anything '[1] '[2] <))

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![meijeru](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/meijeru/32/2518_2.png) [@meijeru](https://racket.discourse.group/u/meijeru)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 1:26pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/ordering-relations-between-non-numbers/4040/3 "2025-12-12T13:26:43Z")

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Thanks. Meanwhile I have made my own specialized comparison procedure (predicate) which works fine with my data.