How do I sort an array in jQuery?

Question

I am using an array to store occurrences of specific words in a text. The format of the data is word:number. I would like to sort the array by descending number of occurrences (ie. by value). Is there a neat way to do it? Or should I consider using a different data structure?

// This is how the array is filled.
var matches = ["word1", "word2", "word2", "word3", "word4", "word4", "word4"];  

var count = {};
$.each(matches, function(key, value) {
    if(!count[value])
        count[value] = 1;
    else
        count[value]++;
});

After the loop this is what I get and want to sort by descending values:

count = { 'word1':'1', 'word2':'2', 'word3':'1', 'word4':'3' };

What I actually want it to look like (sorted by value):

count = { 'word4':'3', 'word2':'2', 'word1':'1', 'word3':'1' };

It's not a valid object, though. Either the OP meant ["word1", "word2", ... ] or he's lost his keys. — Lightness Races in Orbit
– Lightness Races in Orbit, Commented Jun 13, 2011 at 11:28
Sorry, comment was referring to the first line only (changed it). @Tomalak This is what I meant. — Steven
– Steven, Commented Jun 13, 2011 at 11:37
Please edit your post to more accurately reflect your scenario. — Lightness Races in Orbit
– Lightness Races in Orbit, Commented Jun 13, 2011 at 11:38

Lightness Races in Orbit · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-13 11:29:39Z

7

Try this:

function sortmyway(data_A, data_B)
{
    return (data_A - data_B);
}
var list =[ 39, 108, 21, 55, 18, 9]
list.sort(sortmyway) //[9, 18, 21, 39, 55, 108]

See the working example here.

edited Jun 13, 2011 at 11:29

Lightness Races in Orbit

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answered Jun 13, 2011 at 11:02

Rakesh Sankar

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7 Comments

Lightness Races in Orbit Over a year ago

The OP doesn't have an array, but an object.

Rakesh Sankar Over a year ago

Really? I doesn't look like an object, I still see an array, see this jsfiddle.net/srakesh/82VVn/1 when I alert "list[0]" it gives me "9".

Lightness Races in Orbit Over a year ago

@Rakesh: What in particular do you want explaining? Objects support obj[i] syntax. Arrays are a specific form of object. Arrays are created like [1,2,3] and are numerically indexed. More general objects are created with {1:1, 2:2, 3:3} and are indexed however you like.

Lightness Races in Orbit Over a year ago

@Rakesh: (Actually, in fairness, it looks like the OP did in fact mean to talk about an array.)

Lightness Races in Orbit Over a year ago

@Rakesh: Your code has an array. I said the OP didn't have one.

|

mahju · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-13 10:58:38Z

-1

I suggest you use some kind of tree for that instead as it already has the properties of a sorted map.

answered Jun 13, 2011 at 10:58

mahju

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