sorting an array

[Michael Hill]

If I have an array defined like this:

var list = [
["1","359"," No a Test xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ","
0","08/18/2003","Approved "],
["2","268"," test character fields for 500
","129","07/14/2003","Approved "],
["3","288","text area filled XXXXXXXx","
0","07/15/2003","Approved "]
];

How would I sort it by the 3th column?

Mike

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

Michael Hill <hi****@ram.lmt as.lmco.com> writes:

If I have an array defined like this:

var list = [
["1","359"," No a Test xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ","
0","08/18/2003","Approved "],

Please avoid line breaks when posting code. The code, as posted, is
invalid.

Try this:
---
function compare(a,b) {
if (a<b) {return -1;}
if (a>b) {return 1;}
return 0;
}

var sortedList = list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return compare(a[2],b[2]);});
---

/L
--
Lasse Reichstein Nielsen - lr*@hotpop.com
DHTML Death Colors: <URL:http://www.infimum.dk/HTML/rasterTriangleD OM.html>
'Faith without judgement merely degrades the spirit divine.'

[Douglas Crockford]

> If I have an array defined like this:

var list = [
["1","359"," No a Test xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ","
0","08/18/2003","Approved "],
["2","268"," test character fields for 500
","129","07/14/2003","Approved "],
["3","288","text area filled XXXXXXXx","
0","07/15/2003","Approved "]
];

How would I sort it by the 3th column?

You can pass a function to the array.sort(fn) method.

list.sort(funct ion (a, b) {
if (a[2] == b[2]) {
return 0;
}
if (a[2] < b[2]) {
return -1;
}
return 1;
});

// 15.4.4.11

http://www.crockford.com/javascript/survey.html

[Evertjan.]

Douglas Crockford wrote on 01 dec 2003 in comp.lang.javas cript:

list.sort(funct ion (a, b) {
if (a[2] == b[2]) {
return 0;
}
if (a[2] < b[2]) {
return -1;
}
return 1;
});

In short:

list.sort(
function(a,b) {
return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0
}
);
--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

[Douglas Crockford]

> > list.sort(funct ion (a, b) {

if (a[2] == b[2]) {
return 0;
}
if (a[2] < b[2]) {
return -1;
}
return 1;
});

In short:

list.sort(
function(a,b) {
return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0
}
);

Or shorter,

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0});

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

"Douglas Crockford" <no****@covad.n et> writes:

Or shorter,

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0});

Or even shorter, and much uglier,
list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return a[2]<b[2]?-1:+(a[2]>b[2]);});

And the original was still by far the most readable.
/L
--
Lasse Reichstein Nielsen - lr*@hotpop.com
DHTML Death Colors: <URL:http://www.infimum.dk/HTML/rasterTriangleD OM.html>
'Faith without judgement merely degrades the spirit divine.'

[Evertjan.]

Douglas Crockford wrote on 01 dec 2003 in comp.lang.javas cript:

> list.sort(funct ion (a, b) {
> if (a[2] == b[2]) {
> return 0;
> }
> if (a[2] < b[2]) {
> return -1;
> }
> return 1;
> });
>

In short:

list.sort(
function(a,b) {
return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0
}
);

Or shorter,

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0});

Even shorter:

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return (c=a[2]-b[2])?(c>0)?1:-1:0});

--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

[Douglas Crockford]

> >> > list.sort(funct ion (a, b) {

> if (a[2] == b[2]) {
> return 0;
> }
> if (a[2] < b[2]) {
> return -1;
> }
> return 1;
> });
>

In short:

list.sort(
function(a,b) {
return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0
}
);

Or shorter,

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0});

Even shorter:

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return (c=a[2]-b[2])?(c>0)?1:-1:0});

That assumes that the values are numbers. If they are, then

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return a[2] - b[2]});

[Evertjan.]

Lasse Reichstein Nielsen wrote on 02 dec 2003 in comp.lang.javas cript:

Or shorter,

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return (a[2]>b[2])?1:(a[2]<b[2])?-1:0});

Or even shorter, and much uglier,
list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return a[2]<b[2]?-1:+(a[2]>b[2]);});

Haha:

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return +((c=a[2]-b[2])>0)-(c<0)});

Ugliness is a joy forever in the hand of the beholder.

--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

[Lasse Reichstein Nielsen]

"Evertjan." <ex************ **@interxnl.net > writes:

list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return +((c=a[2]-b[2])>0)-(c<0)});

That requires a[2] and b[2] to be numbers. Comparison works for
strings too, and the original poster's example had strings at offset
2.

(And as it was pointed out, if they are numbers,
list.sort(funct ion(a,b){return a[2]-b[2];});
is sufficient).

/L
--
Lasse Reichstein Nielsen - lr*@hotpop.com
DHTML Death Colors: <URL:http://www.infimum.dk/HTML/rasterTriangleD OM.html>
'Faith without judgement merely degrades the spirit divine.'