JavaScript: Using Property Value to Sort an Array of Objects

Sorting JavaScript Objects by String Property

JavaScript frequently involves sorting arrays of objects, particularly when working with data that must be displayed in a particular order. Sorting an array of objects according to a string property value, like a last name or a title, is one common scenario.

This post will explain how to sort an array of JavaScript objects according to a string property's value. We'll look at using the `sort()` technique and talk about whether we need to do any further action, such as giving the objects a `toString()` method.

A Comprehensive Guide on JavaScript Object Sorting

The aforementioned scripts are intended to sort a collection of JavaScript objects according to the value of the string property last_nom. We construct a custom sorting function in the first example by using the sort(function(a, b) {...}) method. The last_nom property of every object is compared by this function. It returns -1, meaning that the first object should appear before the second, if the first object's last_nom is less than the second object's last_nom. It returns 1 if the last_nom of the first object is bigger, indicating that it should appear after the second. It returns 0 if they are equal, meaning that their positions ought to stay the same.

A more condensed ES6 syntax is used in the second script. The sort() function compares the last_nom properties of the objects using the localeCompare() technique. In the current locale, this function returns a number indicating whether a string comes before, after, or is the same as another string. Both scripts report the sorted array to the console for verification using the console.log() function. Both approaches efficiently handle object property sorting in JavaScript by sorting the array of objects by the last_nom property.

var objs = [
    {first_nom: 'Laszlo', last_nom: 'Jamf'},
    {first_nom: 'Pig', last_nom: 'Bodine'},
    {first_nom: 'Pirate', last_nom: 'Prentice'}
];

objs.sort(function(a, b) {
    if (a.last_nom < b.last_nom) {
        return -1;
    }
    if (a.last_nom > b.last_nom) {
        return 1;
    }
    return 0;
});

console.log(objs);

const objs = [
    {first_nom: 'Laszlo', last_nom: 'Jamf'},
    {first_nom: 'Pig', last_nom: 'Bodine'},
    {first_nom: 'Pirate', last_nom: 'Prentice'}
];

objs.sort((a, b) => a.last_nom.localeCompare(b.last_nom));

console.log(objs);

var objs = [
    {first_nom: 'Laszlo', last_nom: 'Jamf'},
    {first_nom: 'Pig', last_nom: 'Bodine'},
    {first_nom: 'Pirate', last_nom: 'Prentice'}
];

objs.sort(function(a, b) {
    if (a.last_nom < b.last_nom) {
        return -1;
    }
    if (a.last_nom > b.last_nom) {
        return 1;
    }
    return 0;
});

console.log(objs);

More Complex JavaScript Object Sorting Methods

Knowing the nuances of the sort() function is crucial when sorting an array of objects in JavaScript based on a string property. Elements are sorted as strings by default using the sort() technique. This can produce unexpected outcomes when working with special letters or numbers. Using a custom compare function is the best way to guarantee correct sorting, especially when working with string attributes. Apart from localeCompare(), managing case sensitivity is an additional helpful strategy. Because of the case sensitivity of JavaScript's string comparison by default, 'a' will be regarded as less than 'A'. You can use your comparison function to convert all strings to upper or lower case in order to prevent this.

Several attributes can be sorted by, which is an additional essential consideration. You might want to further sort the items by first_nom, for instance, if they have the same last_nom value. By adding more conditions to the custom comparison function, this can be accomplished. By guaranteeing that the data is arranged thoroughly, this type of multi-level sorting produces more insightful outcomes. You can efficiently manage increasingly complicated data sorting circumstances in JavaScript by comprehending and utilizing these sophisticated sorting approaches.