How to Sort an ArrayList by String Values in Java Using Lambda Expressions

Learn how to effectively sort an `ArrayList` of objects by string values in Java using lambda expressions. We break down the process step by step.
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How to Sort an ArrayList by String Values in Java Using Lambda Expressions

Sorting collections in Java is a common task that developers often face. You may need to sort an ArrayList of objects based on a specific field, such as a string property. In this guide, we'll tackle a specific scenario: sorting a list of employees by their names using lambda expressions.

Understanding the Challenge

Suppose we have an ArrayList of Employe objects, and we want to sort these objects based on their ename (name) property. While sorting by numerical values (like eno or employee number) can be straightforward, sorting by strings can require a bit of finesse, especially when leveraging Java's functional programming capabilities through lambda expressions.

The Basic Structure

We begin by having a simple Employe class:

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And an ArrayList initialized with some employee objects:

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The Sorting Problem

To sort this ArrayList by ename, you might initially attempt to use a lambda expression, but run into challenges. An example sorting attempt could look like this:

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However, this code doesn't yield the expected results.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Sort Using a Lambda: You can directly pass a lambda expression that compares based on the string field:

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

Refactor with a Getter Method: For cleaner code, consider adding a getter method for ename in the Employe class:

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Then you can sort the list like this:

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Final Output

After implementing the sorting, you can print the sorted list:

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This line will output the list sorted alphabetically by employee names.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, you can now confidently sort arrays not just by numerical values, but also by strings, enhancing the functionality of your Java applications.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.