how to sort strings in javascript numerically

Question

I would like to sort an array of strings (in javascript) such that groups of digits within the strings are compared as integers not strings. I am not worried about signed or fl

Answer 1

I needed a way to take a mixed string and create a string that could be sorted elsewhere, so that numbers sorted numerically and letters alphabetically. Based on answers above I created the following, which pads out all numbers in a way I can understand, wherever they appear in the string.

function padAllNumbers(strIn) {
    // Used to create mixed strings that sort numerically as well as non-numerically
    var patternDigits = /(\d+)/g; // This recognises digit/non-digit boundaries
    var astrIn = strIn.split( patternDigits ); // we create an array of alternating digit/non-digit groups

    var result = "";

    for (var i=0;i<astrIn.length;  i++) {
        if (astrIn[i] != "") { // first and last elements can be "" and we don't want these padded out
            if (isNaN(astrIn[i])) {
                result += astrIn[i];
            } else {
                result += padOneNumberString("000000000",astrIn[i]);
            }
        }
    }
    return result;
}

function padOneNumberString(pad,strNum,left) {
    // Pad out a string at left (or right)
    if (typeof strNum === "undefined") return pad;
    if (typeof left === "undefined") left = true;
    var padLen =  pad.length - (""+ strNum).length;
    var padding = pad.substr(0,padLen);
    return left?  padding + strNum : strNum + padding;
}