Zed Lopez wrote:
> A couple of my early attempts depended on the idea that the trump suit
> absolutely determined the ranking of the cards, independent of knowing
> anything else. It doesn't work, though.
 > ...
> Ordering the hand can't come without considering what suits are present.

I addressed this by generating a suit order in alternating colors 
starting with the trump suit. Then some hand checking of the various 
possibilities showed me that the only adjustment needed was to swap the 
second and fourth suits if the hand was void in the second suit. Given 
that adjustment, any combination of suits in the hand should yield 
properly alternating colors.