Skip to content
the poor coder

sort an array by characters length in js

Poor Man
Published
Reading time
2 min read
On this page

Sorting an Array by Character Length in JavaScript#

Sorting an array by character length is a common task in JavaScript. There are several ways to achieve this, but the most efficient way is to use the built-in sort() method.

Method 1: Using the sort() Method#

The sort() method sorts the elements of an array in place and returns the sorted array. We can use this method to sort an array by character length by passing a custom comparison function as a parameter to the sort() method.

Text

const arr = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date", "eggs"];
arr.sort((a, b) => a.length - b.length);
console.log(arr); // Output: ["date", "eggs", "apple", "banana", "cherry"]

In the above example, we have defined an array of strings and passed a comparison function to the sort() method. The comparison function compares the length of two strings and returns a negative value if the first string is shorter than the second string, a positive value if the first string is longer than the second string, and zero if both strings have equal length.

Method 2: Using the map() Method#

We can also sort an array by character length using the map(), sort(), and reduce() methods.

Text

const arr = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date", "eggs"];
const sortedArr = arr.map((elem) => elem).sort((a, b) => a.length - b.length);
console.log(sortedArr); // Output: ["date", "eggs", "apple", "banana", "cherry"]

In the above example, we have used the map() method to copy the elements of the original array to a new array. Then, we have used the sort() method to sort the new array by character length. Finally, we have returned the sorted array using the reduce() method.

Method 3: Using the Spread Operator and the sort() Method#

We can also sort an array by character length using the spread operator and the sort() method.

Text

const arr = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date", "eggs"];
const sortedArr = [...arr].sort((a, b) => a.length - b.length);
console.log(sortedArr); // Output: ["date", "eggs", "apple", "banana", "cherry"]

In the above example, we have used the spread operator to copy the elements of the original array to a new array. Then, we have used the sort() method to sort the new array by character length.

Conclusion#

Sorting an array by character length in JavaScript is a simple task that can be achieved using several methods. The most efficient way is to use the built-in sort() method with a custom comparison function.

Keep going

2023

how to sort an array

How to Sort an Array If you have an array and you want to order its elements in a specific way, you need to use a sorting algorithm. There are several sorting algorithms available, but two of the most commonly used are…

javascript2 min read
2023

jquery mobile or desktop

jQuery Mobile or Desktop? As a web developer, I have had some experience with both jQuery Mobile and jQuery Desktop. Both frameworks have their pros and cons, and which one to use really depends on the specific project…

javascript1 min read
2023

node.js folder structure

Node.js Folder Structure If you are new to Node.js, it can be daunting to create a folder structure that will work for your project. The structure you choose will depend on the size and complexity of your project. Here…

javascript1 min read
ESC