Swift: Sort array of objects alphabetically

Question

I have this:

class Movies {
  Name:String
  Date:Int
}

and an array of [Movies]. How do I sort the array alphabetically by name? I\'ve trie

Answer 1

With Swift 3, you can choose one of the following ways to solve your problem.

---

1. Using sorted(by:​) with a Movie class that does not conform to Comparable protocol

If your Movie class does not conform to Comparable protocol, you must specify in your closure the property on which you wish to use Array's sorted(by:​) method.

Movie class declaration:

import Foundation

class Movie: CustomStringConvertible {

    let name: String
    var date: Date
    var description: String { return name }

    init(name: String, date: Date = Date()) {
        self.name = name
        self.date = date
    }

}

Usage:

let avatarMovie = Movie(name: "Avatar")
let titanicMovie = Movie(name: "Titanic")
let piranhaMovie = Movie(name: "Piranha II: The Spawning")

let movies = [avatarMovie, titanicMovie, piranhaMovie]
let sortedMovies = movies.sorted(by: { $0.name < $1.name })
// let sortedMovies = movies.sorted { $0.name < $1.name } // also works

print(sortedMovies)

/*
prints: [Avatar, Piranha II: The Spawning, Titanic]
*/

---

2. Using sorted(by:​) with a Movie class that conforms to Comparable protocol

However, by making your Movie class conform to Comparable protocol, you can have a much concise code when you want to use Array's sorted(by:​) method.

Movie class declaration:

import Foundation

class Movie: CustomStringConvertible, Comparable {

    let name: String
    var date: Date
    var description: String { return name }

    init(name: String, date: Date = Date()) {
        self.name = name
        self.date = date
    }

    static func ==(lhs: Movie, rhs: Movie) -> Bool {
        return lhs.name == rhs.name
    }

    static func <(lhs: Movie, rhs: Movie) -> Bool {
        return lhs.name < rhs.name
    }

}

Usage:

let avatarMovie = Movie(name: "Avatar")
let titanicMovie = Movie(name: "Titanic")
let piranhaMovie = Movie(name: "Piranha II: The Spawning")

let movies = [avatarMovie, titanicMovie, piranhaMovie]
let sortedMovies = movies.sorted(by: { $0 < $1 })
// let sortedMovies = movies.sorted { $0 < $1 } // also works
// let sortedMovies = movies.sorted(by: <) // also works

print(sortedMovies)

/*
 prints: [Avatar, Piranha II: The Spawning, Titanic]
 */

---

3. Using sorted() with a Movie class that conforms to Comparable protocol

By making your Movie class conform to Comparable protocol, you can use Array's sorted() method as an alternative to sorted(by:​).

Movie class declaration:

import Foundation

class Movie: CustomStringConvertible, Comparable {

    let name: String
    var date: Date
    var description: String { return name }

    init(name: String, date: Date = Date()) {
        self.name = name
        self.date = date
    }

    static func ==(lhs: Movie, rhs: Movie) -> Bool {
        return lhs.name == rhs.name
    }

    static func <(lhs: Movie, rhs: Movie) -> Bool {
        return lhs.name < rhs.name
    }

}

Usage:

let avatarMovie = Movie(name: "Avatar")
let titanicMovie = Movie(name: "Titanic")
let piranhaMovie = Movie(name: "Piranha II: The Spawning")

let movies = [avatarMovie, titanicMovie, piranhaMovie]
let sortedMovies = movies.sorted()

print(sortedMovies)

/*
 prints: [Avatar, Piranha II: The Spawning, Titanic]
 */