var test = ['b', 'c', 'd', 'a'];
var test_with_index = [];
for (var i in test) {
test_with_index.push([test[i], i]);
}
test_with_index.sort(function(left, right) {
return left[0] < right[0] ? -1 : 1;
});
var indexes = [];
test = [];
for (var j in test_with_index) {
test.push(test_with_index[j][0]);
indexes.push(test_with_index[j][1]);
}
Edit
You guys are right about for .. in
. That will break if anybody munges the array prototype, which I observe annoyingly often. Here it is with that fixed, and wrapped up in a more usable function.
function sortWithIndeces(toSort) {
for (var i = 0; i < toSort.length; i++) {
toSort[i] = [toSort[i], i];
}
toSort.sort(function(left, right) {
return left[0] < right[0] ? -1 : 1;
});
toSort.sortIndices = [];
for (var j = 0; j < toSort.length; j++) {
toSort.sortIndices.push(toSort[j][1]);
toSort[j] = toSort[j][0];
}
return toSort;
}
var test = ['b', 'c', 'd', 'a'];
sortWithIndeces(test);
alert(test.sortIndices.join(","));