Javascript sort numbers with a variable for the field being sorted

Question

I am trying to sort some numbers in Javascript - this works fine, but I am trying to refactor some of the code so I am not hard coding field names. Below is my function:

data.sort(function(a, b) {
    return a.values[0].field1 - b.values[0].field1;
});

The problem is that I want to also use this same functionality with field2

I've tried doing something like the following (simplified):

var sortBy = "field1";

data.sort(function(a, b) {
    return a.values[0].sortBy- b.values[0].sortBy;
});

That is looking for a literal field name of sortBy though and is not working. Any help would be appreciated.

`a.values[0][sortBy]`. Damn. You beat me to it by 13 seconds. — Matthijs, Mar 29 '16 at 12:42
@deceze: And you beat me to the close (same original question) by 19 secs. :-) — T.J. Crowder, Mar 29 '16 at 12:43
Thanks - that original answer didn't show up in my search - appreciate the quick response(s) — JamesE, Mar 29 '16 at 12:50

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 29 '16 at 12:42

0

a.values[0].sortBy

a.values[0][sortBy]

answered Mar 29 '16 at 12:42

Qwertiy

19,681
15
61
128

1

@tchelidze, [why?](/review/suggested-edits/11812565) – Qwertiy Mar 29 '16 at 12:44
Indeed, that suggested edit was worse than pointless. *In general*, though, code dump answers are not *useful* answers. Instead, say *what* you did, and (usually more importantly) *why*. – T.J. Crowder Mar 29 '16 at 12:45

Javascript sort numbers with a variable for the field being sorted

1 Answers1