array.sort() in javascript modifies the underlying array:
> a = [5,1,3]
[ 5, 1, 3 ]
> a.sort()
[ 1, 3, 5 ]
> a
[ 1, 3, 5 ]
>
Is there anyway to sort the array not in place, so that the sorted version is returned as a copy. like this?
> a = [5,1,3]
[ 5, 1, 3 ]
> b = a.some_function()
[ 1, 3, 5 ]
> a
[ 5, 1, 3 ]
> b
[ 1, 3, 5 ]
Not without writing your own function to do it. You can, of course, clone and then sort:
var b = a.slice(0).sort();
Example:
var a = [5,1,3];
var b = a.slice(0).sort();
snippet.log("a: " + JSON.stringify(a));
snippet.log("b: " + JSON.stringify(b));<!-- Script provides the `snippet` object, see http://meta.stackexchange.com/a/242144/134069 -->
<script src="http://tjcrowder.github.io/simple-snippets-console/snippet.js"></script>