Lodash _.sortedUniq() Array Method

Posted in lodash Tutorial

Updated on Feb 24, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 31 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 1 Comment

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

In the realm of JavaScript development, efficient handling of arrays is fundamental.

Lodash, a robust utility library, offers a wealth of functions to streamline such operations. Among them, the _.sortedUniq() method stands out, providing a convenient way to work with sorted arrays. This method proves invaluable when dealing with datasets requiring unique elements while maintaining a sorted order.

🧠 Understanding _.sortedUniq()

The _.sortedUniq() method in Lodash is designed for arrays with sorted elements. It efficiently removes duplicate values, leaving a unique and sorted array. This functionality proves beneficial when working with data that requires consistency and order.

💡 Syntax

syntax.js

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_.sortedUniq(array)

array: The sorted array from which to remove duplicates.

📝 Example

Let's delve into a practical example to illustrate the utility of _.sortedUniq():

example.js

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// Include Lodash library (ensure it's installed via npm)
const _ = require('lodash');

const sortedArrayWithDuplicates = [1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7];
const uniqueSortedArray = _.sortedUniq(sortedArrayWithDuplicates);

console.log(uniqueSortedArray);
// Output: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

In this example, the sortedArrayWithDuplicates is processed by _.sortedUniq(), resulting in a new array without duplicate values and maintaining the original order.

🏆 Best Practices

Ensure Sorted Input:

Before applying _.sortedUniq(), ensure that the input array is sorted. This method is optimized for sorted arrays, and using it on an unsorted array may not yield the expected results.
example.js
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```
const unsortedArray = [3, 1, 2, 4, 3, 5];
const sortedUniqResult = _.sortedUniq(unsortedArray);

console.log(sortedUniqResult);
// Output: [3, 1, 2, 4, 5] (result may not be as expected)
```

Optimize for Sorted Data:

If you are frequently working with sorted datasets that require unique elements, consider maintaining the sorted order throughout your data pipeline. This can optimize performance when utilizing _.sortedUniq().

example.js

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// Include Lodash library (ensure it's installed via npm)
const _ = require('lodash');

// Assume this function fetches and returns sorted data from an API
const fetchSortedDataFromAPI = () => {
    return /* ...fetch and return sorted data... */;
};

// Fetch sorted data
const sortedData = fetchSortedDataFromAPI();

// Optimize for sorted data by directly using _.sortedUniq()
const uniqueSortedData = _.sortedUniq(sortedData);

console.log(uniqueSortedData);

📚 Use Cases

Maintaining Unique Values in Sorted Data:

When dealing with datasets that must remain sorted, _.sortedUniq() ensures the removal of duplicate elements while preserving the order.
example.js
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```
const sortedDataWithDuplicates = /* ...fetch data from API or elsewhere... */;
const uniqueSortedData = _.sortedUniq(sortedDataWithDuplicates);

console.log(uniqueSortedData);
```
Data Normalization:

In scenarios where you need to normalize sorted data by removing duplicate entries, _.sortedUniq() provides a clean and efficient solution.
example.js
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```
const normalizedData = _.sortedUniq(/* ...your sorted data... */);
console.log(normalizedData);
```

🎉 Conclusion

The _.sortedUniq() method in Lodash is a powerful tool for managing arrays with sorted elements. Its simplicity and efficiency make it an excellent choice for scenarios where maintaining order and uniqueness is crucial. By incorporating this method into your code, you can enhance both the performance and reliability of your array manipulations.

Explore the capabilities of Lodash and streamline your array operations with _.sortedUniq()!