Overview

To create a user-friendly app, you need to know how to sort and filter data. Sorting and filtering allow users to find what they are looking for quickly, which enhances their user experience. It allows users to control the information they see on their screens. In this reading, you will review some key concepts related to sorting and filtering data in Android, including Kotlin collection processing together with Jetpack Compose UI.

Sorting

Sorting is performed when users do not want to narrow their search but rather arrange data in a certain order by attribute, for example, alphabetically by name. Sorting organizes the content according to a certain parameter, while filtering removes it from view. Kotlin collection processing can be used to sort items. To sort items by the title attribute, the Kotlin sortedBy method can be used:

items.sortedBy{ it.title }

For more information on sorting, please review the Sorting and filtering the food menu reading from the Working with data in Android course.

Filtering

Users often know what they are looking for and want a quick way to find it. Finding a desired item may be time-consuming if a list contains many items. Fortunately, you can display only items that match a query string entered by the user. Filtering is performed when users want to narrow the list of available items based on specific criteria such as name or price. Kotlin collection processing can be used to filter items. To filter items containing a particular string in the title, this Kotlin filter method can be used:

.filter{ it.title.contains(searchPhrase,ignoreCase=true) }

Conclusion

In this reading, you recapped the key aspects of filtering and sorting data in an Android app. You can use this knowledge to create a list of items, such as the food menu, that can be filtered and sorted in your app project. This puts the power in the hands of the users to use your app as they wish, ultimately making your app a better product.