How to sort an array of objects by multiple fields

Question

From this original question, how would I apply a sort on multiple fields?

Using this slightly adapted structure, how would I sort city (ascending) & then price (descending)?

var homes = [
    {"h_id":"3",
     "city":"Dallas",
     "state":"TX",
     "zip":"75201",
     "price":"162500"},
    {"h_id":"4",
     "city":"Bevery Hills",
     "state":"CA",
     "zip":"90210",
     "price":"319250"},
    {"h_id":"6",
     "city":"Dallas",
     "state":"TX",
     "zip":"75000",
     "price":"556699"},
    {"h_id":"5",
     "city":"New York",
     "state":"NY",
     "zip":"00010",
     "price":"962500"}
    ];

I liked the fact than an answer was given which provided a general approach. Where I plan to use this code, I will have to sort dates as well as other things. The ability to "prime" the object seemed handy, if not a little cumbersome.

I've tried to build this answer into a nice generic example, but I'm not having much luck.

Answer 1

You could use a chained sorting approach by taking the delta of values until it reaches a value not equal to zero.

var data = [{ h_id: "3", city: "Dallas", state: "TX", zip: "75201", price: "162500" }, { h_id: "4", city: "Bevery Hills", state: "CA", zip: "90210", price: "319250" }, { h_id: "6", city: "Dallas", state: "TX", zip: "75000", price: "556699" }, { h_id: "5", city: "New York", state: "NY", zip: "00010", price: "962500" }];

data.sort(function (a, b) {
    return a.city.localeCompare(b.city) || b.price - a.price;
});

console.log(data);

.as-console-wrapper { max-height: 100% !important; top: 0; }

Answer 2

Here's an extensible way to sort by multiple fields.

homes.sort(function(left, right) {
    var city_order = left.city.localeCompare(right.city);
    var price_order = parseInt(left.price) - parseInt(right.price);
    return city_order || -price_order;
});

Notes

• a.localeCompare(b) is universally supported and returns -1,0,1 if a<b,a==b,a>b respectively.
• Subtraction works on numeric fields.
• || in the last line gives city priority over price.
• Negate to reverse order in any field, as in -price_order
• Date comparison, var date_order = new Date(left.date) - new Date(right.date); works like numerics because date math turns into milliseconds since 1970.
• Add fields into the or-chain, return city_order || -price_order || date_order;

Answer 3

Here's my solution based on the Schwartzian transform idiom, hope you find it useful.

function sortByAttribute(array, ...attrs) {
  // generate an array of predicate-objects contains
  // property getter, and descending indicator
  let predicates = attrs.map(pred => {
    let descending = pred.charAt(0) === '-' ? -1 : 1;
    pred = pred.replace(/^-/, '');
    return {
      getter: o => o[pred],
      descend: descending
    };
  });
  // schwartzian transform idiom implementation. aka: "decorate-sort-undecorate"
  return array.map(item => {
    return {
      src: item,
      compareValues: predicates.map(predicate => predicate.getter(item))
    };
  })
  .sort((o1, o2) => {
    let i = -1, result = 0;
    while (++i < predicates.length) {
      if (o1.compareValues[i] < o2.compareValues[i]) result = -1;
      if (o1.compareValues[i] > o2.compareValues[i]) result = 1;
      if (result *= predicates[i].descend) break;
    }
    return result;
  })
  .map(item => item.src);
}

Here's an example how to use it:

let games = [
  { name: 'Pako',              rating: 4.21 },
  { name: 'Hill Climb Racing', rating: 3.88 },
  { name: 'Angry Birds Space', rating: 3.88 },
  { name: 'Badland',           rating: 4.33 }
];

// sort by one attribute
console.log(sortByAttribute(games, 'name'));
// sort by mupltiple attributes
console.log(sortByAttribute(games, '-rating', 'name'));

Answer 4

Simpler one:

var someArray = [...];

function generateSortFn(props) {
    return function (a, b) {
        for (var i = 0; i < props.length; i++) {
            var prop = props[i];
            var name = prop.name;
            var reverse = prop.reverse;
            if (a[name] < b[name])
                return reverse ? 1 : -1;
            if (a[name] > b[name])
                return reverse ? -1 : 1;
        }
        return 0;
    };
};

someArray.sort(generateSortFn([{name: 'prop1', reverse: true}, {name: 'prop2'}]));

Answer 5

I like SnowBurnt's approach but it needs a tweak to test for equivalence on city NOT a difference.

homes.sort(
   function(a,b){
      if (a.city==b.city){
         return (b.price-a.price);
      } else {
         return (a.city-b.city);
      }
   });

Answer 6

Here's another one that's perhaps closer to your idea for the syntax

function sortObjects(objArray, properties /*, primers*/) {
    var primers = arguments[2] || {}; // primers are optional

    properties = properties.map(function(prop) {
        if( !(prop instanceof Array) ) {
            prop = [prop, 'asc']
        }
        if( prop[1].toLowerCase() == 'desc' ) {
            prop[1] = -1;
        } else {
            prop[1] = 1;
        }
        return prop;
    });

    function valueCmp(x, y) {
        return x > y ? 1 : x < y ? -1 : 0; 
    }

    function arrayCmp(a, b) {
        var arr1 = [], arr2 = [];
        properties.forEach(function(prop) {
            var aValue = a[prop[0]],
                bValue = b[prop[0]];
            if( typeof primers[prop[0]] != 'undefined' ) {
                aValue = primers[prop[0]](aValue);
                bValue = primers[prop[0]](bValue);
            }
            arr1.push( prop[1] * valueCmp(aValue, bValue) );
            arr2.push( prop[1] * valueCmp(bValue, aValue) );
        });
        return arr1 < arr2 ? -1 : 1;
    }

    objArray.sort(function(a, b) {
        return arrayCmp(a, b);
    });
}

// just for fun use this to reverse the city name when sorting
function demoPrimer(str) {
    return str.split('').reverse().join('');
}

// Example
sortObjects(homes, ['city', ['price', 'desc']], {city: demoPrimer});

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/Nq4dk/2/

---

Edit: Just for fun, here's a variation that just takes an sql-like string, so you can do sortObjects(homes, "city, price desc")

function sortObjects(objArray, properties /*, primers*/) {
    var primers = arguments[2] || {};

    properties = properties.split(/\s*,\s*/).map(function(prop) {
        prop = prop.match(/^([^\s]+)(\s*desc)?/i);
        if( prop[2] && prop[2].toLowerCase() === 'desc' ) {
            return [prop[1] , -1];
        } else {
            return [prop[1] , 1];
        }
    });

    function valueCmp(x, y) {
        return x > y ? 1 : x < y ? -1 : 0; 
    }

    function arrayCmp(a, b) {
        var arr1 = [], arr2 = [];
        properties.forEach(function(prop) {
            var aValue = a[prop[0]],
                bValue = b[prop[0]];
            if( typeof primers[prop[0]] != 'undefined' ) {
                aValue = primers[prop[0]](aValue);
                bValue = primers[prop[0]](bValue);
            }
            arr1.push( prop[1] * valueCmp(aValue, bValue) );
            arr2.push( prop[1] * valueCmp(bValue, aValue) );
        });
        return arr1 < arr2 ? -1 : 1;
    }

    objArray.sort(function(a, b) {
        return arrayCmp(a, b);
    });
}