How to Sort an Array of Objects in TypeScript (2024)

Introducing TypeScript Sort Array of Objects

Sorting an array of objects is a common task in many programming languages. TypeScript is no exception, and it provides a number of ways to sort arrays of objects. In this article, we’ll take a look at the different sorting methods available in TypeScript, and we’ll explore how to use them to sort arrays of objects in different ways.

We’ll start by looking at the basics of sorting arrays of objects, and then we’ll move on to more advanced topics such as sorting by multiple properties and sorting objects with non-comparable properties. By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to sort arrays of objects in TypeScript.

Sorting an Array of Objects by a Property

In TypeScript, you can sort an array of objects by a property using the `sort()` method. The `sort()` method takes a function as its first argument. This function should accept two arguments, the first and second elements of the array. The function should return a number that indicates the order in which the two elements should be sorted.

For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by the `name` property:

typescript
const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
];

objects.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));

console.log(objects);
// [
// { name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
// { name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
// { name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
// ]

The `sort()` method uses the `localeCompare()` method to compare the two strings. The `localeCompare()` method takes two strings as its arguments and returns a number that indicates the order in which the strings should be sorted. A negative number indicates that the first string should come before the second string, a positive number indicates that the second string should come before the first string, and 0 indicates that the two strings are equal.

You can also use the `sort()` method to sort an array of objects by multiple properties. To do this, you can pass an array of functions to the `sort()` method. Each function should accept two arguments, the first and second elements of the array. The functions should return a number that indicates the order in which the two elements should be sorted.

For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by the `name` property and then by the `age` property:

typescript
const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
];

objects.sort([
(a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name),
(a, b) => a.age – b.age,
]);

console.log(objects);
// [
// { name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
// { name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
// { name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
// ]

The `sort()` Method

The `sort()` method is a built-in method of the Array object. The `sort()` method takes a function as its first argument. This function should accept two arguments, the first and second elements of the array. The function should return a number that indicates the order in which the two elements should be sorted.

The `sort()` method returns a new array that is sorted according to the specified function. The original array is not modified.

The `sort()` method is a destructive method. This means that it modifies the original array. If you do not want to modify the original array, you can use the `Array.prototype.slice()` method to create a copy of the array before sorting it.

The following table lists the parameters of the `sort()` method:

| Parameter | Type | Description |
|—|—|—|
| compareFn | Function | A function that compares two elements of the array and returns a number that indicates the order in which the elements should be sorted. |
| compareFunction | Function | An alternative way to specify the compare function. |
| options | Object | An object that specifies options for the `sort()` method. |

The `compareFn` parameter is the most common way to specify the compare function. The compare function should accept two arguments, the first and second elements of the array. The compare function should return a number that indicates the order in which the two elements should be sorted. A negative number indicates that the first element should come before the second element, a positive number indicates that the second element should come before the first element, and 0 indicates that the two elements are equal.

The `compareFunction` parameter is an alternative way to specify the compare function. The `compareFunction` parameter accepts a function as its value. The function should accept two arguments, the first and second elements of the array. The function should return a number that indicates the order in which the two elements should be sorted

**3. The `compare()` function**

The `compare()` function is a built-in function that can be used to compare two objects. It takes two arguments, the first object and the second object, and returns a number indicating which object is greater. The following code sorts an array of objects by their `name` property:

typescript
const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));

console.log(sortedObjects); // [ { name: “Alice”, age: 20 }, { name: “Bob”, age: 18 }, { name: “Carol”, age: 22 } ]

The `compare()` function can be used to sort objects by any property. For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by their `age` property:

typescript
const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort((a, b) => a.age – b.age);

console.log(sortedObjects); // [ { name: “Bob”, age: 18 }, { name: “Alice”, age: 20 }, { name: “Carol”, age: 22 } ]

The `compare()` function can also be used to sort objects by a function that returns a number. For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by their `length` property:

typescript
const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort((a, b) => a.name.length – b.name.length);

console.log(sortedObjects); // [ { name: “Bob”, age: 18 }, { name: “Alice”, age: 20 }, { name: “Carol”, age: 22 } ]

**4. The `keyof` operator**

The `keyof` operator can be used to get the type of a property of an object. For example, the following code gets the type of the `name` property of an object:

typescript
const object = { name: “Alice” };

const keyofName = keyof object;

console.log(keyofName); // “name”

The `keyof` operator can be used to sort an array of objects by a property that does not exist on the objects themselves. For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by their `length` property:

typescript
const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort((a, b) => a.name.length – b.name.length);

console.log(sortedObjects); // [ { name: “Bob”, age: 18 }, { name: “Alice”, age: 20 }, { name: “Carol”, age: 22 } ]

The `keyof` operator can also be used to sort an array of objects by a property that is not a string. For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by their `age` property:

typescript
const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 18 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 22 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort((a, b) => a.age – b.age);

console.log(sortedObjects); // [ { name: “Bob”, age: 18 }, { name: “Alice”, age: 20 }, { name: “Carol”, age: 22 } ]

In this tutorial, you learned how to sort an array of objects in TypeScript. You learned how to use the `compare()` function and the `keyof`

Q: How do I sort an array of objects in TypeScript?

A: To sort an array of objects in TypeScript, you can use the `Array.sort()` method. The `Array.sort()` method takes a callback function as its first argument. The callback function should accept two parameters: the first parameter is the current element in the array, and the second parameter is the next element in the array. The callback function should return a number that indicates the order in which the two elements should be sorted.

For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by the `name` property of the objects:

const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 10 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 30 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));

console.log(sortedObjects); // [
// { name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
// { name: “Bob”, age: 10 },
// { name: “Carol”, age: 30 },
// ]

You can also use the `Array.sort()` method to sort an array of objects by multiple properties. To do this, you can pass an array of property names to the `Array.sort()` method. The objects will be sorted by the first property in the array, and if two objects have the same value for the first property, they will be sorted by the second property, and so on.

For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by the `name` property and then by the `age` property:

const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 10 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 30 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort([“name”, “age”]);

console.log(sortedObjects); // [
// { name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
// { name: “Carol”, age: 30 },
// { name: “Bob”, age: 10 },
// ]

Q: What is the difference between the `Array.sort()` method and the `Object.entries()` method?

A: The `Array.sort()` method sorts an array of objects by their values, while the `Object.entries()` method returns an array of arrays, where each inner array contains the key and value of an object.

For example, the following code sorts an array of objects by the `name` property of the objects:

const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 10 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 30 },
];

const sortedObjects = objects.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));

console.log(sortedObjects); // [
// { name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
// { name: “Bob”, age: 10 },
// { name: “Carol”, age: 30 },
// ]

The following code uses the `Object.entries()` method to return an array of arrays, where each inner array contains the key and value of an object:

const objects = [
{ name: “Alice”, age: 20 },
{ name: “Bob”, age: 10 },
{ name: “Carol”, age: 30 },
];

const entries = Object.entries(objects);

console.log(entries); // [
// [“Alice”, 20],
// [“Bob”, 10],
// [“Carol”, 30],
// ]

Q: How can I sort an array of objects by a property that is not a string?

A: To sort an array of objects by a property that is not a string, you can use the `Array.prototype.sort()` method with a custom compare function. The compare function should accept two parameters: the first parameter is the current element in the array, and the second parameter is the next element in the array.

In this blog post, we have discussed how to sort an array of objects in TypeScript. We have covered three different methods:

• The `Array.sort()` method
• The `Object.keys()` method
• The `Array.prototype.sort()` method

We have also provided code examples for each method.

We hope that this blog post has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.