How to Sort an Array of Integers in JavaScript

Sorting is one of the most common operations in programming. In this article, we’ll learn how to sort an array of integers in ascending order using JavaScript.

We will also explore a simple custom sorting logic using loops and array manipulation.


🧠 Problem Statement

Given a number (or array of numbers), we want to sort all digits in ascending order.

For example:

  • Input: 123496758789456
  • Output: 123445567778899

💡 Approach

We will:

  1. Convert the number into a string
  2. Split it into individual digits
  3. Compare and rearrange digits using loops
  4. Return the sorted result

This approach demonstrates basic sorting logic without using built-in sort().


💻 JavaScript Program

const nos = 123496758789456;

console.log("Original:", nos);

const sorted = sorter(nos).join('');
console.log("Sorted:", sorted);

function sorter(nos) {
    const splitted = nos.toString().split('');

    for (let i = 0; i < splitted.length; i++) {
        for (let j = i + 1; j < splitted.length; j++) {

            if (parseInt(splitted[j - 1]) > parseInt(splitted[j])) {
                let temp = splitted[j - 1];

                splitted.splice(j - 1, 1);
                splitted.splice(j, 0, temp);
            }
        }
    }

    return splitted;
}

🔍 How It Works

Step 1: Convert Number to String

nos.toString().split('')

This converts the number into an array of digits.


Step 2: Compare Adjacent Elements

We use nested loops to compare each digit with the next ones.


Step 3: Swap Elements

If the previous digit is greater than the next one, we swap them using splice().


📊 Output Example

Input:

123496758789456

Output:

123445567778899

⚡ Better Approach (Recommended)

Instead of manual sorting, JavaScript provides a built-in method:

const nos = 123496758789456;

const sorted = nos
    .toString()
    .split('')
    .sort((a, b) => a - b)
    .join('');

console.log(sorted);

🚀 Key Takeaways

  • Sorting can be done using loops or built-in methods
  • Manual sorting helps understand algorithm logic
  • .sort() is the most efficient and readable approach in JavaScript
  • Always prefer built-in functions in real-world applications

🎯 Conclusion

Sorting digits is a great exercise to understand array manipulation and comparison logic in JavaScript. While manual sorting builds algorithmic thinking, built-in methods like .sort() make code cleaner and more efficient.

Keep practicing to strengthen your JavaScript fundamentals!