Xano - Sorting Arrays of Objects

Ever found yourself dealing with an array of objects in your database, and you needed to sort them based on a specific field within those objects? Fear not, for we've got a solution that'll make your life a whole lot easier! In this blog post, we'll walk you through the process of sorting an array of objects by a field, step by step.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have the following:

• Access to the Xano platform
• A table in your database with an array of objects as one of the fields

Once you've got that squared away, let's get sorting!

Step 1: Add a New Function

Head over to the Function Stack in Xano and add a new function under the "Data Manipulation" category. Within that, go to the "Loops" section and select the "For Each" loop, which iterates over a list of items.

Step 2: Select the Items to Loop Through

In the first step of the "For Each" loop, you'll need to specify which items you want to loop through. In this case, you'll want to loop through the variable that contains the records from your table with the array of objects.

Step 3: Define the Function

Now it's time to define the function that will perform the sorting operation. Follow these steps:

1. Click the "+" button to add a new function.
2. Under the "Data Manipulation" category, select "Update Variable."
3. Choose the variable you want to update (in this case, the `item` variable from the "For Each" loop).
4. Use dot notation to specify the object within the record that you want to sort (e.g., `item.details`).
5. Set the value of the variable to itself, but with the dot notation to access the object (e.g., `item.details`).

Step 4: Add the Sort Filter

This is where the magic happens! After setting the value of the variable, you'll need to add a sort filter:

1. Click the "Add Filter" button.
2. Select the "Sort" filter.
3. In the "Sort" window, specify the following:

• Path: Enter the field within the object that you want to sort on (e.g., "value").
• Type: Select the appropriate data type for the field you're sorting on (e.g., "Number" for numeric values).
• Ascending: Choose whether you want to sort in ascending or descending order.

1. Click "Update" to apply the sort filter.

Step 5: Save and Run

Once you've completed the above steps, save your function and run it. You should now see your array of objects sorted based on the specified field within the objects!

And there you have it, folks! You've just mastered the art of sorting an array of objects by a field. With Xano's user-friendly interface and powerful features, you can streamline your backend development process and focus on building amazing applications.

Happy sorting!