Sort JSON data by time stamp

Question

What is the best way to sort them by timestamp using jquery or plain javascript?

 [{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"jlkdsjflsf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:14.840Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndslfkjdslkfds","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:15.439Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nfdsfjdsf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:15.883Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:16.010Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:16.186Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nds","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:16.339Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nfds","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:16.545Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:16.580Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nds","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:16.774Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nfdsfjdsflkejlrjew","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:17.739Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nrewljrlew","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:18.320Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nfdslkfjdsf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:18.760Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndslfjewr","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:19.287Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\newjrlkjef","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:19.792Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nsfj;dsajflkdsjfds","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:20.548Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:20.720Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsafdslkfjdslkjf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:21.855Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsjflkdsfj","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:21.175Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsjfldsakf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:22.687Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsafjlkdsjf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:22.335Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nflsdjflkew","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:36.848Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nds","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:23.723Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nfjdsjgfdsgj","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:38.048Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nrewjf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:37.292Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nfdjgfdjg","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:38.688Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nfdjg","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:38.285Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ntjreltjregjlkfjgfdjglkfdjg","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:40.202Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nre","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:38.812Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ngre","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:41.478Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nrejtrekjgjrgkjregkjre","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:41.295Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\negj","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:42.156Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\njglkrjgr","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:41.925Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nrglkjre","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:42.993Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ngregjrgj","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:43.646Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nrejg","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:42.368Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nrjg","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:42.547Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"lkjlkj","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:04:09.149Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nlkjlkjllk","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:04:10.916Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsjglfdj","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:44.099Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\ndsf","timestamp":"2013-10-29T15:30:45.568Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nwhat is leas goingt","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:04:21.985Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nthis figure out?","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:04:26.850Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nlkjlkjlk","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:04:13.043Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nnice to see you guys","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:04:17.499Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nwhat baout some baggles","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:05:23.896Z"},{"userName":"sdfs","conversation":"\nwhat can you tell about baggles","timestamp":"2013-10-29T16:05:30.548Z"}]

For example, if I load above json data, I get the unordered timestamp like seen in below snapshot. I get this data from ehcache (unordered), I want to order it in the client side by timestamp.

enter image description here

Here is the jsfiddle link, if you see in the result the timestamp is not ordered by ascending order.

Code:

 $(document).ready(function () {
   var json = //json object above
   for (var i = 0; i < json.length; i++) {
        tr = $('<tr/>');
        tr.append("<td>" + (i+1) + "</td>");
        tr.append("<td>" + json[i].userName + "</td>");
        tr.append("<td>" + json[i].conversation + "</td>");
        tr.append("<td>" + json[i].timestamp + "</td>");
        $('table').append(tr);
     } 
    });

You question is too vague. Show us how you're using it to know the best way to apply a sort function. Anyway, a good pratice is to apply this sorting on server-side if it is being generated by a database query. — DontVoteMeDown, Oct 29 '13 at 16:13
@DontVoteMeDown I have updated my question with snapshot, the data comes from ehcache and we want to sort it in the client side. — user1595858, Oct 29 '13 at 16:22
Nice but this isn't enough to help yet. We want to know how you use the `json` in your code. You receive it from the server and the, simply loop through it? — DontVoteMeDown, Oct 29 '13 at 16:24
@DontVoteMeDown I get the data once when the browser opens, I could have loop through the timestamp if it is just in plain number. — user1595858, Oct 29 '13 at 16:32
[You should add any code in your fiddle to the question](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/201633/does-a-fiddle-provide-enough-information-to-describe-the-specific-problem). I've done this for now. — Liam, Oct 29 '13 at 16:54

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 29 '13 at 16:52

Your date format is one that can be sorted alphabetically so you can simply use sort and compare the strings directly without converting to dates.

json.sort(function (a, b) {
    if (a.timestamp > b.timestamp){
      return 1;
    } else if (a.timestamp < b.timestamp){
      return -1;
    } else {
        return 0;
    }
});

Information on sort

Sort JSON data by time stamp

Code:

1 Answers1