Either you implement a compare-method for your object:
- (NSComparisonResult)compare:(Person *)otherObject {
return [self.birthDate compare:otherObject.birthDate];
}
NSArray *sortedArray;
sortedArray = [drinkDetails sortedArrayUsingSelector:@selector(compare:)];
or usually even better:
NSSortDescriptor *sortDescriptor;
sortDescriptor = [[[NSSortDescriptor alloc] initWithKey:@"birthDate"
ascending:YES] autorelease];
NSArray *sortDescriptors = [NSArray arrayWithObject:sortDescriptor];
NSArray *sortedArray;
sortedArray = [drinkDetails sortedArrayUsingDescriptors:sortDescriptors];
You can easily sort by multiple keys by adding more than one to the array. Using custom comparator-methods is possible as well. Have a look at the documentation.
There's also the possibility of sorting with a block since Mac OS X 10.6 and iOS 4:
NSArray *sortedArray;
sortedArray = [drinkDetails sortedArrayUsingComparator:^NSComparisonResult(id a, id b) {
NSDate *first = [(Person*)a birthDate];
NSDate *second = [(Person*)b birthDate];
return [first compare:second];
}];
For this particular example I'm assuming that the objects in your array have a 'position' method, which returns an NSInteger
.
NSArray *arrayToSort = where ever you get the array from... ;
NSComparisonResult (^sortBlock)(id, id) = ^(id obj1, id obj2) {
if ([obj1 position] > [obj2 position]) {
return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedDescending;
}
if ([obj1 position] < [obj2 position]) {
return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedAscending;
}
return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedSame;
};
NSArray *sorted = [arrayToSort sortedArrayUsingComparator:sortBlock];
Note: the "sorted" array will be autoreleased.
If this 'position' is in NSDictory.
NSComparisonResult (^sortBlock)(id, id) = ^(id obj1, id obj2) {
NSInteger p1= [((NSString*) [obj1 objectForKey:@"position"]) integerValue];
NSInteger p2= [((NSString*) [obj2 objectForKey:@"position"]) integerValue];
if (p1 > p2) {
return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedDescending;
}
if (p1 < p2) {
return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedAscending;
}
return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedSame;
};