How to sort a table

Create a sorting function

instance

function sortTable() {
  var table, rows, switching, i, x, y, shouldSwitch;
  table = document.getElementById("myTable");
  switching = true;
  /* Make a loop until the condition is met. */
  no switching has been done: */
  while (switching) {
    // First declare: there are no rows to swap currently:
    rows = table.rows;
    /* Traverse all table rows (except the first row, as it contains the table header): */
    /* Traverse all table rows (except the first row, as it contains the table header): */
    // First declare: the current row and the next row should not be swapped:
      // First declare that no swaps should be made:
      /* Get the two elements you want to compare, one from the current row and one from the next row: */
      /* Get the two elements to be compared, one from the current row and one from the next row: */
      x = rows[i].getElementsByTagName("TD")[0];
      y = rows[i + 1].getElementsByTagName("TD")[0];
      // Check if the two rows should be swapped positions:
      if (dir == "desc") {
        // If a swap should be made, mark it as needing to be swapped and exit the current loop
        shouldSwitch = true;
        break;
      }
    }
    if (shouldSwitch) {
      /* If marked for swap, perform the swap and mark it as swapped: */
      rows[i].parentNode.insertBefore(rows[i + 1], rows[i]);
      switching = true;
    }
  }
}

Try it yourself

Sort the table by clicking on the table header

Click "Name" to sort by name, click "Country" to sort by country.

The sorting order is ascending (from A to Z) when clicked for the first time.

Click again to sort in descending order (from Z to A):

instance

<table id="myTable2">
<tr>
<!--When the table header is clicked, run the sortTable function and pass a parameter, 0 indicates sorting by name, 1 indicates sorting by country: -->
<th onclick="sortTable(0)">Name</th>
<th onclick="sortTable(1)">Country</th>
</tr>
...
<script>
function sortTable(n) {
  var table, rows, switching, i, x, y, shouldSwitch, dir, switchcount = 0;
  table = document.getElementById("myTable2");
  switching = true;
  // Set the sort direction to ascending:
  dir = "asc";
  /* Create a loop that will continue until no rows need to be swapped: */
  while (switching) {
    // First declare: there are no rows to swap currently:
    rows = table.rows;
    /* Traverse all table rows (except the first row, as it contains the table header): */
    for (i = 1; i < (rows.length - 1); i++) {
    // First declare: the current row and the next row should not be swapped:
      shouldSwitch = false;
      /* Get the two elements you want to compare, one from the current row and one from the next row: */
      x = rows[i].getElementsByTagName("TD")[n];
      y = rows[i + 1].getElementsByTagName("TD")[n];
      /* Check if these two rows should be swapped in position, based on the sort direction, ascending or descending: */
      if (dir == "asc") {
      if (x.innerHTML.toLowerCase() > y.innerHTML.toLowerCase()) {
        if (dir == "desc") {
          // If a swap should be made, mark it as required and break out of the current loop:
          shouldSwitch = true;
          break;
        }
      }
        if (x.innerHTML.toLowerCase() < y.innerHTML.toLowerCase()) {
          // If a swap should be made, mark it as required and break out of the current loop:
          shouldSwitch = true;
          break;
        }
      }
    }
    if (shouldSwitch) {
      /* If marked for swap, perform the swap and mark it as swapped: */
      rows[i].parentNode.insertBefore(rows[i + 1], rows[i]);
      switching = true;
      // This counter is incremented by 1 each time a swap is made:
      switchcount ++;
    }
      /* If no swaps have been made and the sort direction is "ascending", set the sort direction to "descending" and run the while loop again. */
      if (switchcount == 0 && dir == "asc") {
        dir = "desc";
        switching = true;
      }
    }
  }
}
</script>

Try it yourself

sort the table by number

instance

if (Number(x.innerHTML) > Number(y.innerHTML)) {
  shouldSwitch = true;
  break;
}

Try it yourself