JavaScript’s sort()method: From basics to custom sorting

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to JavaScript's sort() method
2. Sorting Arrays in Ascending and Descending Order
3. Custom Sorting with a Compare Function
4. Sorting an Array of Objects

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1. Introduction to JavaScript's sort() method <a name="introduction"></a>

• When sort() is used without a compare function, elements are first coerced to strings and sorted based on their UTF-16 code units.
• Characters in strings are encoded as 16-bit code units in UTF-16.
• Non-string values are also coerced to strings before sorting.

2. Sorting Arrays in Ascending and Descending Order <a name="sorting-arrays"></a>

• By default, sort() sorts elements in ascending order based on their UTF-16 code units.
• To sort in descending order, a custom compare function can be used.

array.sort((a, b) => b - a);

3. Custom Sorting with a Compare Function <a name="custom-sorting"></a>

• The compare function should return a negative number if the first argument should come before the second.
• It should return a positive number if the second argument should come before the first, and zero if they are equal.
• Example compare function for sorting numbers in ascending order:

array.sort((a, b) => a - b);

4. Sorting an Array of Objects <a name="sorting-objects"></a>

• Objects can be sorted based on a specific property using the compare function.
• Example sorting objects alphabetically by a property:

array.sort((a, b) => a.property.localeCompare(b.property));

Please note that sort() mutates the original array. To avoid mutation, create a new array before sorting or use slice() method for sorting. The compare function should be pure for consistent behavior.