JavaScript Array toSorted() Method

The Array.toSorted() method is a new addition to JavaScript, introduced in ECMAScript 2023 (ES14). It returns a new array with the elements sorted in the specified order, leaving the original array unchanged.

Syntax

let newArray = arr.toSorted(compareFunction);

Parameters

Parameter	Description
compareFunction	(Optional) A function that defines the sort order. If omitted, elements are converted to strings and sorted lexicographically in ascending order.

Return Value

The toSorted() method returns a new array with elements sorted as per the specified order in the compareFunction.

Example 1: Default Lexicographic Sorting

let arr = ['HTML', 'CSS', 'JavaScript', 'jQuery'];
let sortedArr = arr.toSorted();
console.log(sortedArr); // Output: [ 'CSS', 'HTML', 'JavaScript', 'jQuery' ]
console.log(arr);       // Output: [ 'HTML', 'CSS', 'JavaScript', 'jQuery' ]

By default, toSorted() arranges elements lexicographically without modifying the original array.

Example 2: Sorting Numbers

let arr = [10, 1, 25, 3];

let sortedArr = arr.toSorted((a, b) => a - b);
console.log(sortedArr); // Output: [1, 3, 10, 25]
console.log(arr);       // Output: [10, 1, 25, 3]

Using a custom compareFunction, the numbers are sorted in ascending order.

Example 3: Sorting in Descending Order

let arr = [10, 1, 25, 3];

let sortDescending = arr.toSorted((a, b) => b - a);
console.log(sortDescending); // Output: [25, 10, 3, 1]
console.log(arr);            // Output: [10, 1, 25, 3]

The compareFunction is customized to sort numbers in descending order.

Example 4: Sorting an Array of Objects

let users = [
    { name: 'John', age: 25 },
    { name: 'Alice', age: 30 },
    { name: 'Bob', age: 20 }
];

let sortedByAge = users.toSorted((a, b) => a.age - b.age);
console.log(sortedByAge);

/* Output:
 [
   { name: 'Bob', age: 20 },
   { name: 'John', age: 25 },
   { name: 'Alice', age: 30 }
] */
console.log(users);
// Output: Original array remains unchanged

Supported Browsers

Browser	Support
Chrome	110+
Firefox	109+
Safari	16.4+
Edge	110+
Opera	96+
Internet Explorer	Not Supported