使用C語言來編寫 shell 排序程序實例，如下所示：

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
#define MAX 7

int intArray[MAX] = {4,6,3,2,1,9,7};

void printline(int count){
int i;

for(i = 0;i <count-1;i++){
printf("=");
}
printf("=\n");
}

void display(){
int i;
printf("[");

// navigate through all items
for(i = 0;i<MAX;i++){
printf("%d ",intArray[i]);
}
printf("]\n");
}

void shellSort(){
int inner, outer;
int valueToInsert;
int interval = 1;
int elements = MAX;
int i = 0;

while(interval <= elements/3) {
interval = interval*3 +1;
}

while(interval > 0) {
printf("iteration %d#:",i);
display();

  for(outer = interval; outer < elements; outer++) {
     valueToInsert = intArray\[outer\];
     inner = outer;

     while(inner > interval -1 && intArray\[inner - interval\] >= valueToInsert) {
        intArray\[inner\] = intArray\[inner - interval\];
        inner -= interval;
        printf(" item moved :%d\\n",intArray\[inner\]);
     }

     intArray\[inner\] = valueToInsert;
     printf(" item inserted :%d, at position :%d\\n",valueToInsert,inner);
  }
  interval = (interval -1) /3;           
  i++;

}
}

int main() {
printf("Input Array: ");
display();
printline(50);
shellSort();
printf("Output Array: ");
display();
printline(50);
return 1;
}

如果我們編譯並運行上述程序那麼這將產生以下結果 -

Input Array: [4, 6, 3, 2, 1, 9, 7]

iteration 0#: [4, 6, 3, 2, 1, 9, 7]
item moved :4
item inserted :1, at position :0
item inserted :9, at position :5
item inserted :7, at position :6
iteration 1#: [1, 6, 3, 2, 4, 9, 7]
item inserted :6, at position :1
item moved :6
item inserted :3, at position :1
item moved :6
item moved :3
item inserted :2, at position :1
item moved :6
item inserted :4, at position :3
item inserted :9, at position :5
item moved :9
item inserted :7, at position :5
Output Array: [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9]
==================================================