How to use table.sort?

How do you go about using table.sort() in a table like this:

 {
	["Test1"] = 420,
	["Test2"] = 1000000,
	["Test3"] = 48189,
}

I have tried using the following:

table.sort(Table, function(a, b)
	return a > b
end)

but it doesn’t work. I think a and b are Test1, Test2, etc but it doesn’t want to print a and b.

13 Likes

You could detect the number inside the Test string and use that in the sorting function,
to detect numbers - use the special key “%d”.

1 Like

I am a little new to using % in scripts. How do I use this in this case?

1 Like

Please read the following article:
https://www.lua.org/pil/19.3.html
The 2nd paragraph goes over that you can only use this on arrays, not dictionaries. What you are doing is using it on a dictionary.

They show an example of transfering a dictionary over to an array and then back. While using table.sort in between.

1 Like

You need to realize that you’re using a dictionary, and this function works only on arrays.

Here’s an example on how to use it :

This will return you the numbers in order [larger to smaller]

local tab = {1,2,5,6,3}

table.sort(tab,function(a,b)
	return a>b
end)

for a,b in pairs(tab) do
	print(a,b)
end

Here is how you can use it in your case:

In this example, it’d return you the values in the table in order, from larger to smaller [it’ll detect the numbers in your values and work with that]

local mytab = {"Test1","Test2","Test3"}

table.sort(mytab,function(a,b)
	return tonumber(string.match(a,"%d")) > tonumber(string.match(b,"%d"))
end)


for i,v in pairs(mytab) do
	print(i,v)
end

image

9 Likes

I think you misunderstood it. What I am trying to do is sort the values that are after the Test (420, 100000 and 48189 in this case)

1 Like

Well, the example you showed me above uses dictionaries, and that function doesnt work with that, but with arrays.

3 Likes

But! Here is a way you could do that in your case :

[I will now send an example with this applied on]

1 Like

In this example, it’d sort them accordingly from higher to lower.

local mytab = {
	{"Test1",450};
	{"Test2",56};
	{"Test3",78};
}



table.sort(mytab, function(a,b)
	return a[2] > b[2]
end)


for i,v in pairs(mytab) do
	print(v[1], v[2])
end



image

40 Likes

Is there any way that you can sort Instances instead of strings with this example?

1 Like

Yes, wouldn`t even need to change anything.
Your table could have any number of things you would like, the Sorting is done by just comparing the Numbers and ordering the table, nothing else matters.

1 Like

so if i wanted to go from lowest to highest i would just do?

table.sort(mytab, function(a,b)
	return a[2] < b[2]
end)
1 Like

If u want to go from lowest to highest table.sort(mytab) already works like that!

1 Like

i meant the other way around sorry about that

The symbol % is used often in gsubs. You can use this to mark up magical characters.

it’s because table.sort() works only in arrays (tables where the key/index are numbers)

your table is called a dictionary (a table in which the key/index are strings etc. but not numbers)