diff --git a/src/env_file_helper.py b/src/env_file_helper.py
index 5c9440d..8e88ad7 100644
--- a/src/env_file_helper.py
+++ b/src/env_file_helper.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class DependencyRule(NamedTuple):
 
 
 def _get_indices_with_string(in_list: list[EnvFile], string: str) -> list[int]:
+    """returns all indices of items in in_list, where item.env_type matches string"""
     return [index for index, element in enumerate(in_list) if element.env_type == string]
 
 
@@ -28,7 +29,11 @@ def _swap_item_with_previous(in_list: list[EnvFile], index: int):
     in_list[index], in_list[index - 1] = in_list[index - 1], in_list[index]
 
 
-def _is_rule_satisfied(in_list: list[EnvFile], rule: DependencyRule) -> bool:
+def is_rule_satisfied(in_list: list[EnvFile], rule: DependencyRule, swap=False) -> bool:
+    """returns if the ordering in in_list is compliant with the given rule
+
+    if swap=True, some reordering will happen in case of a violated rule"""
+
     child_indices = _get_indices_with_string(in_list, rule.child)
     parent_indices = _get_indices_with_string(in_list, rule.dependency)
     child_index = min(child_indices)
@@ -38,7 +43,8 @@ def _is_rule_satisfied(in_list: list[EnvFile], rule: DependencyRule) -> bool:
             if parent_index < child_index:
                 results.append(True)
             else:
-                _swap_item_with_previous(in_list, parent_index)
+                if swap:
+                    _swap_item_with_previous(in_list, parent_index)
                 results.append(False)
     return all(results)
 
@@ -49,7 +55,7 @@ def sort_env_files_by_rule(env_list: list[EnvFile], rules: list[DependencyRule])
     for _ in range(10_000):
         rule_satisfied: list[bool] = []
         for rule in rules:
-            rule_satisfied.append(_is_rule_satisfied(in_list, rule))
+            rule_satisfied.append(is_rule_satisfied(in_list, rule, swap=True))
 
         if all(rule_satisfied):
             return in_list