Optimum way to compare strings in JavaScript?

javascript string optimization comparison binary-search
HRJ picture HRJ · Jan 30, 2010 · Viewed 756.8k times · Source

I am trying to optimize a function which does binary search of strings in JavaScript.

Binary search requires you to know whether the key is == the pivot or < the pivot.

But this requires two string comparisons in JavaScript, unlike in C like languages which have the strcmp() function that returns three values (-1, 0, +1) for (less than, equal, greater than).

Is there such a native function in JavaScript, that can return a ternary value so that just one comparison is required in each iteration of the binary search?

Answer

Daniel Vassallo picture Daniel Vassallo · Jan 30, 2010

You can use the localeCompare() method. 

string_a.localeCompare(string_b);

/* Expected Returns:

 0:  exact match

-1:  string_a < string_b

 1:  string_a > string_b

 */

Further Reading:

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