Multiple sort numeric before string

Question

I would like to know how to sort numeric before string. I use array_multisort to sort my array.

There is my sample data

$arr = [
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => 1
    ],
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => '2-03'
    ],
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => 3
    ],
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => '2-01'
    ],
];

The current result after sort. The string numeric '2-01' is sort between 1 and 3

$arr = [
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => 1
    ],
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => '2-01'
    ],
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => '2-03'
    ],
    [
        'company_name' => '',
        'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
        'classification' => 3
    ],
];

My expected result. I want to sort string '2-01', '2-03' after the numeric 1 and 3

$arr = [
       [
          'company_name' => '',
          'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
          'classification' => 1
       ],
       [
          'company_name' => '',
          'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
          'classification' => 3
       ],
       [
          'company_name' => '',
          'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
          'classification' => '2-01'
       ],
       [
          'company_name' => '',
          'expiryDate' => '2018.7',
          'classification' => '2-03'
       ],
    ];

My sort fields. I used array_multisort to sort multiple fields

$sortFields = [
    'classification' => SORT_ASC,
    'company_name' => SORT_ASC,
    'expiryDate' => SORT_ASC
];

Write a custom comparator with usort($arr, function($a1, $a2) {}) — Aniket Sahrawat
– Aniket Sahrawat, Commented Feb 13, 2018 at 3:58
What do you mean by "sort numeric before string"? Can you give an example output? — Mike
– Mike, Commented Feb 13, 2018 at 3:58
@AniketSahrawat Could you give me some suggestion when sort multiple fields — ToujouAya
– ToujouAya, Commented Feb 13, 2018 at 4:02
Did you try to remove dashes(-) to dots and convert to float in classification? — Sakezzz
– Sakezzz, Commented Feb 13, 2018 at 4:03

Aniket Sahrawat · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-14 01:18:07Z

2

Try with usort() and a comparator:

// @param $arr array that you want to sort
// @param $sortby sort by $arr[$indexOfArray][$sortby]
// @param $isDate boolean
function sortItOutYourself(&$arr, $sortby, $isDate) {
    usort($arr, function($a1, $a2) use ($sortby, $isDate) {
        if($isDate)
            return DateTime::createFromFormat("Y.m", $a1[$sortby])->getTimestamp()
                - DateTime::createFromFormat("Y.m", $a2[$sortby])->getTimestamp();

        if( (gettype($a1[$sortby]) == "string" && gettype($a2[$sortby]) == "string") ||
            (gettype($a1[$sortby]) == "integer" && gettype($a2[$sortby]) == "integer") )
            return $a1[$sortby] > $a2[$sortby] ? 1 : -1;

        return gettype($a1[$sortby]) == "integer" && gettype($a2[$sortby]) == "string" ? -1 : 1;
    });
}

sortItOutYourself($arr, "classification", false);
sortItOutYourself($arr, "company_name", false);
sortItOutYourself($arr, "expiryDate", true);

edited Feb 14, 2018 at 1:18

answered Feb 13, 2018 at 4:19

Aniket Sahrawat

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9 Comments

ToujouAya Over a year ago

Thank you for helping but I want to sort multiple fields , How could I do it with usor?

Aniket Sahrawat Over a year ago

There are lot of examples in usort link that I have written with the answer. You can refer it for more details. You should learn to create a comparator as the very first step.

Mike Over a year ago

If you sort by company_name and then by classification, you will lose any sorting you did when sorting by company_name because it resorts the entire array again. You've also missed the cases where the values are equal, and you need to return 0.

Mike Over a year ago

Or maybe I misunderstood the question and the OP wanted to sort by those 3 things independently instead of consecutively in a single sort.

ToujouAya Over a year ago

I want to sort it consecutively not independently. Therefore the answer from @AniketSahrawat is not correct , and event if I try to sort only one thing classification independently , the sort result is not correct

|

Mike · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-13 05:51:06Z

0

You can use usort() for this:

usort($arr, function($a,$b) {
    // First, sort by classification. If it returns non-zero, use this
    // sort. If not, move to the next sort type.
    $sort = sortByClassification($a['classification'],$b['classification']);
    if ($sort !== 0) {
        return $sort;
    }

    // Second, sort by company name. If it returns non-zero, use this
    // sort. If not, move to the next sort type.
    $sort = sortByCompanyName($a['company_name'],$b['company_name']);
    if ($sort !== 0) {
        return $sort;
    }

    // Third, sort by expiry date. Since this is the last sort type,
    // we can just return it
    return sortByExpiryDate($a['expiryDate'],$b['expiryDate']);
});

function sortByClassification($a,$b) {
    // Both are numeric, so sort numerically
    if (is_numeric($a) && is_numeric($b)) {
        if ($a == $b) {
            return 0;
        }
        return ($a < $b) ? -1 : 1;
    }
    // Both are strings, so sort alphabetically
    if (!is_numeric($a) && !is_numeric($b)) {
        return strcmp($a, $b);
    }
    return is_numeric($a) ? -1 : 1;
}

function sortByCompanyName($a,$b) {
    return strcmp($a, $b);
}

function sortByExpiryDate($a, $b) {
    $a_explode = explode('.', $a);
    $a_expiry = new DateTime($a_explode[0].'-'.$a_explode[1].'-1');

    $b_explode = explode('.', $b);
    $b_expiry = new DateTime($b_explode[0].'-'.$b_explode[1].'-1');

    if ($a_expiry == $b_expiry) {
        return 0;
    }
    return $a_expiry < $b_expiry ? -1 : 1;
}

print_r($arr);

Output:

Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [company_name] => 
            [expiryDate] => 2018.7
            [classification] => 1
        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [company_name] => 
            [expiryDate] => 2018.7
            [classification] => 3
        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [company_name] => 
            [expiryDate] => 2018.7
            [classification] => 2-01
        )

    [3] => Array
        (
            [company_name] => 
            [expiryDate] => 2018.7
            [classification] => 2-03
        )

)

edited Feb 13, 2018 at 5:51

answered Feb 13, 2018 at 4:13

Mike

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5 Comments

ToujouAya Over a year ago

Thank you for helping but I want to sort multiple fields , How could I do it with usor?

Mike Over a year ago

I've updated my answer, however it's mostly untested.

ToujouAya Over a year ago

Thank you for your help. I not test all these function above but the function for classification sort is correct. I will mask your answer is correct answer, but actually I like the answer is remove dash and convert it to float, it can solve my question.

Mike Over a year ago

How would converting it to a float solve your question when you want "2-01" to appear after "3"?

ToujouAya Over a year ago

When remove dash and convert it into float. This "2-01" -> 201 therefore it larger than 3.

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