How to Efficiently Sort and Filter JSON Data in Vanilla JavaScript

Learn how to optimize JSON data sorting in vanilla JavaScript without excessive fetch requests. This guide tackles common issues and provides streamlined solutions for sorting data effectively.
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Efficiently Sort and Filter JSON Data in Vanilla JavaScript

When working with JSON data in your JavaScript applications, especially when building interactive interfaces, performance becomes crucial. One common challenge developers face is how to efficiently sort and filter data without making unnecessary fetch requests. This guide will break down the problem and provide an effective solution to avoid excessive network requests when sorting or filtering your JSON data.

The Problem: Excessive Fetch Requests

Have you ever found yourself fetching the same data multiple times when all you want to do is sort or filter it? This scenario arises when you bind sorting and filtering actions directly to fetch requests.

Example of Inefficient Approach

Here's an example of how you might initially handle sorting:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In the above code, every time you call customSort, a new fetch request is made to get the same data again, which is inefficient.

Why This Is a Problem

Performance: Constantly fetching the same data can slow down your application.

Network Usage: Repeated requests waste bandwidth.

User Experience: Delays can frustrate users who expect immediate responses.

The Solution: Utilize a Global Variable

To handle data more effectively, you can store the fetched data in a global variable once and then operate on that variable whenever you sort or filter.

Step 1: Fetch Data Once

Modify your initial fetch call to store the data in a global variable:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Sort Using the Global Variable

Update your sorting function to work with the global array rather than making a new fetch request:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Event Listeners for Sorting

Now, you can set up your event listeners to trigger the sorting function without re-fetching the data:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Fixing the Sorting Functions

Another issue you might encounter is in your sort functions. The sorting logic must correctly return values to avoid any unintended behavior.

Corrected Sorting Functions

Make sure your sorting functions return both 1 and -1 as required:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By caching your fetched JSON data in a global variable and optimizing your sorting functions, you can significantly improve the efficiency of your application. This approach reduces unnecessary network calls and enhances the overall user experience. Always remember to ensure your sorting logic correctly returns the expected values, so your data reflects the desired order.

Implement these practices to transform how you handle data sorting and filtering in your vanilla JavaScript projects! Happy coding!