Sorting arrays of objects in JavaScript can be tricky for some developers. However, it can be done quickly with the right tools and techniques. In this article, we will discuss the best practices for sorting arrays of objects by property values in JavaScript.

Understanding Arrays of Objects

An array of objects is a data structure that contains a collection of objects. Each object within the array is a separate entity with its properties and values. Arrays of objects are often used in web development to store and manipulate data.

The Need to Sort Arrays of Objects

You may need to sort an array of objects in JavaScript for many reasons. For example, you may want to sort the data in an array based on a specific property, such as name or date. This can be useful when you want to display the data in a particular order on a website or when you need to perform operations on the data in a specific order.

The Sort Method

The sort method is a built-in JavaScript function that can be used to sort arrays of objects. The sort method compares the values of two elements in the array and rearranges them based on their values. The sort method is a handy tool for sorting arrays of objects, but it can also be confusing for some developers.

Method 1: Array.sort()

The first option for sorting an array of objects in JavaScript is to use the built-in Array.sort() method. This method takes a compare function as an argument, which determines the order of the elements in the array.

Here is an example of how to use the Array.sort() method to sort an array of objects by a property value:

				
					let people = [  {name: "John", age: 30},  {name: "Bill", age: 20},  {name: "Carol", age: 25}];

people.sort((a, b) => {
  if (a.name < b.name) return -1;
  if (a.name > b.name) return 1;
  return 0;
});

console.log(people); // [{name: "Bill", age: 20}, {name: "Carol", age: 25}, {name: "John", age: 30}]

In this example, the items array is sorted in ascending order based on the value property of each object. The sort() method compares the value property of each object, and if the value of a is less than the value of b, it will place a before b in the array.

It is also possible to sort the array in descending order by using the following compare function:

				
					items.sort((a, b) => {
  return b.value - a.value;
});

Method 2: _.sortBy() from Lodash

Another option for sorting an array of objects in JavaScript is to use the _.sortBy() method from the Lodash library. This method is similar to the Array.sort() method provides a more concise syntax and additional features.

To use the _.sortBy() method, you will first need to install the Lodash library and import it into your project. Then, you can use the _.sortBy() method as follows:

 
				
					let items = [
  { name: 'Item 1', value: 10 },
  { name: 'Item 2', value: 5 },
  { name: 'Item 3', value: 15 },
];

let sortedItems = _.sortBy(items, 'value');

In this example, the items array is sorted in ascending order based on the value property of each object. The sortBy() method takes the array and the property to sort by as arguments and returns a new array with the elements sorted in the desired order.

It is also possible to sort the array in descending order by using the _.reverse() method from Lodash:

				
					let sortedItems = _.reverse(_.sortBy(items, 'value'));

Method 3: .sort() with custom compare function

A third option for sorting an array of objects in JavaScript is to use the Array.sort() method with a custom compare function. This can be useful if you need to perform more complex sorting logic, such as sorting by multiple properties or handling different data types.

To use a custom compare function with the Array.sort() method, you can define the function and pass it as an argument to the sort() method. Here is an example of a custom compare function that sorts an array of objects by multiple properties:

				
					function compare(a, b) {
  if (a.value < b.value) {
    return -1;
  }
  if (a.value > b.value) {
    return 1;
  }
  if (a.name < b.name) {
    return -1;
  }
  if (a.name > b.name) {
    return 1;
  }
  return 0;
}

items.sort(compare);

In this example, the items array is first sorted by the value property and then by the name property if the value properties are equal. You can add additional conditions to the compare function to handle other sorting scenarios as needed.


Thanks for reading. Happy coding!