Sorting an array in a custom fashion?

Question

The goal of this code is to sort this array [1,2,3,4,5] to look like this [5,3,1,2,4]. I also want it to sort arrays that someone else sends me, so for example it should work with [-10,-1,-4] as [-1,-10,-4]. The array should be sorted using this rules:

Smallest number is in the middle.
Number higher than the smallest one should be right to it [2](In first example).
Number higher than [2](In the first example) should be left from [1](In the first example).

So far this is my idea:

let values = [1,2,3];
let storage = values.sort((a, b) => a - b);
let result = storage[0];

for( let i = 1; i <= (values.length/2); i+=2 ){
    result.unshift (storage[i]);
    result.push (storage[i+1]);

}
return result);

But I can't make it work, I'm lost on what I can change at the moment.

Nina Scholz · Accepted Answer · 2020-03-04 07:37:36Z

1

You could take a butterfly sorting which sorts odd numbers descending and even numbers ascending.

var array = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];

array.sort((a, b) => b % 2 - a % 2 || (a % 2 ? b - a : a - b));

console.log(array);

answered Mar 4, 2020 at 7:37

Nina Scholz

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1 Comment

Ognjen Todorovic Over a year ago

Best solution, a bit hard for me to understand tho ":D .

Hao Wu · Accepted Answer · 2020-03-04 07:37:07Z

1

You need to make result an array:

let values = [1,2,3];
let storage = values.sort((a, b) => a - b);
let result = [storage[0]];  // make the result an array

for( let i = 1; i <= (values.length/2); i+=2 ){
    result.unshift (storage[i]);
    result.push (storage[i+1]);
}
console.log(result);

answered Mar 4, 2020 at 7:37

Hao Wu

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1 Comment

Ognjen Todorovic Over a year ago

Thanks a lot, I can't understand how i managed to miss the fact it was not an array.

Jacob Nelson · Accepted Answer · 2020-03-04 07:45:01Z

1

Here is my solution

function customSort(inputArray){
  var initialSort = inputArray.sort()

  var finalSorted = []
  finalSorted.push(initialSort[0])
  //console.log(finalSorted)
  for(i=1;i<initialSort.length;i++){
    if(i%2 === 0){
      finalSorted.unshift(initialSort[i])
    }
    else{
      finalSorted.push(initialSort[i])
    }
  
  }
  
  console.log(finalSorted)
  
}

var inputArray = [1,2,3,4,5]

customSort(inputArray)

answered Mar 4, 2020 at 7:45

Jacob Nelson

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1 Comment

Ognjen Todorovic Over a year ago

Thank you very much, this was the solution I was looking for !

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