JavaScript Intl Collator

JavaScript Intl Collator is a built-in JavaScript object that allows you to compare and sort strings based on the conventions of a particular language and region. It's part of the Internationalization API, which provides a set of features designed to help applications work with multiple languages and cultures.

Initialization

You can create a new collator object by calling the Intl.Collator constructor and passing in an optional configuration object. The configuration object allows you to specify the language, region, and other options.

const collator = new Intl.Collator('en-US');

Sorting

Once you have a collator object, you can use it to sort an array of strings based on the conventions of the language and region that the collator is configured for.

const fruits = ['banana', 'apple', 'orange', 'pear'];
fruits.sort(collator.compare);
console.log(fruits); // ['apple', 'banana', 'orange', 'pear']

Comparing

You can also use a collator object to compare two strings and determine their relative sort order.

const collator = new Intl.Collator('en-US');
console.log(collator.compare('apple', 'banana')); // -1
console.log(collator.compare('banana', 'apple')); // 1
console.log(collator.compare('apple', 'apple')); // 0

Options

The configuration object that you pass to the Intl.Collator constructor allows you to specify various options that control the collation process. Some of the most common options include:

• localeMatcher: Specifies how to determine the best matching locale. Can be set to "lookup" or "best fit".
• usage: Specifies the intended use of the collation. Can be set to "sort" or "search".
• sensitivity: Specifies the level of sensitivity in the collation. Can be set to "base", "accent", "case", or "variant".
• ignorePunctuation: Specifies whether to ignore punctuation in the collation.

For example, you might create a collator object that sorts strings according to the conventions of the German language, with a sensitivity of "base" (i.e. ignoring accents and case).

const collator = new Intl.Collator('de-DE', {
  sensitivity: 'base'
});

Conclusion

JavaScript Intl Collator is a powerful tool for working with strings in different languages and regions. By using a collator object to compare and sort strings, you can ensure that your application provides a localized experience to users around the world.