But assuming the dates are strings:
var recent = [
{id: 123,age :12,start: "10/17/13 13:07"},
{id: 13,age :62,start: "07/30/13 16:30"}
];
then sort like this:
recent.sort(function(a,b) {
return new Date(a.start).getTime() - new Date(b.start).getTime()
});
Simplest Answer
array.sort(function(a,b){
// Turn your strings into dates, and then subtract them
// to get a value that is either negative, positive, or zero.
return new Date(b.date) - new Date(a.date);
});
More Generic Answer
array.sort(function(o1,o2){
if (sort_o1_before_o2) return -1;
else if(sort_o1_after_o2) return 1;
else return 0;
});
Or more tersely:
array.sort(function(o1,o2){
return sort_o1_before_o2 ? -1 : sort_o1_after_o2 ? 1 : 0;
});
Generic, Powerful Answer
Define a custom non-enumerable sortBy function using a Schwartzian transform on all arrays :
(function(){
if (typeof Object.defineProperty === 'function'){
try{Object.defineProperty(Array.prototype,'sortBy',{value:sb}); }catch(e){}
}
if (!Array.prototype.sortBy) Array.prototype.sortBy = sb;
function sb(f){
for (var i=this.length;i;){
var o = this[--i];
this[i] = [].concat(f.call(o,o,i),o);
}
this.sort(function(a,b){
for (var i=0,len=a.length;i<len;++i){
if (a[i]!=b[i]) return a[i]<b[i]?-1:1;
}
return 0;
});
for (var i=this.length;i;){
this[--i]=this[i][this[i].length-1];
}
return this;
}
})();
Use it like so:
array.sortBy(function(o){ return o.date });
If your date is not directly comparable, make a comparable date out of it, e.g.
array.sortBy(function(o){ return new Date( o.date ) });
You can also use this to sort by multiple criteria if you return an array of values:
// Sort by date, then score (reversed), then name
array.sortBy(function(o){ return [ o.date, -o.score, o.name ] };
See http://phrogz.net/JS/Array.prototype.sortBy.js for more details.