How to Group an Array of Objects Using JavaScript's reduce Method

Learn how to effectively group an array of objects by their property using JavaScript's `reduce` method!
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How to Group an Array of Objects Using JavaScript's reduce Method

If you're a JavaScript developer, you may have encountered situations where you need to organize or group data. One common task is grouping objects in an array based on a specific property. For instance, you might want to group a collection of products based on their titles. In this guide, we’ll address this challenge and demonstrate how to accomplish this using the reduce method.

The Problem

You have an array of product objects, each with an id and a title. The goal is to group these products based on their titles in such a way that every product has a new property called linked_products, which contains all other products with the same title.

Here's the initial array of objects:

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

Desired Output

After grouping, the aim is to have the following structured output:

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

The Solution

Using the reduce Method

Although the original suggestion may lead you to consider using reduce, it can be a bit complex for this case. Instead, a simpler approach using forEach can be equally effective. However, let's explore how you could use reduce if you prefer that method.

Create an Object to Hold Grouped Products:
First, we'll create an object to hold our grouped products by title.

Iterate and Populate:
Then, loop through the original array and populate this grouping object.

Construct the Final Output:
Finally, we'll construct the linked_products array back into each product.

Here's how it can be implemented using reduce:

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

Complete Final Edits

Now, to integrate the linked_products into the original products array:

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

Conclusion

By using the forEach or reduce methods, you can effectively organize an array of objects based on shared properties. While this post illustrates both methods, the key takeaway is understanding how to manipulate data structures in JavaScript.

Feel free to try the code snippets provided and modify them to fit your needs! Whether you choose reduce or forEach, mastering these array methods is essential for any JavaScript developer.