JavaScript array sorting by string property values

[Sky24]

I’m working with an array of objects and need to sort them by a string property called name. When I try to use the subtraction operator like this:

items.sort(function (x, y) {
    return x.name - y.name
})

It doesn’t work properly because the minus operator can’t handle string values in JavaScript. What’s the correct way to sort an array of objects using a string field as the sorting criteria?

[Luke_Brilliant]

i feel ya! that way of sorting is okay, but using localeCompare() is way neater for strings, it deals with fancy chars n stuff. keep it up!

[joec]

You can also use string comparison operators directly in your sort function:

items.sort(function (x, y) {
    if (x.name < y.name) return -1;
    if (x.name > y.name) return 1;
    return 0;
});

This compares strings lexicographically and handles sorting without extra methods. I use this pattern all the time for basic alphabetical sorting - it’s super reliable. String comparison operators work naturally in JavaScript, unlike arithmetic ones that try converting strings to numbers first.

[charlottew]

You’re correct that using the subtraction operator with strings won’t yield the desired results. A more effective approach is to utilize the localeCompare() method, which provides accurate alphabetical sorting. Here’s how you can implement it:

items.sort(function (x, y) {
    return x.name.localeCompare(y.name);
});

This method returns -1, 0, or 1 based on the alphabetical relationship between the strings and handles various cases, including capitalization and special characters, better than manual methods.