Feature: Customizable sort-array

[hugop95]

Describe the rule

I often build enums and associated types from constant arrays in my projects:

export const NOTIFICATION_OPTIONS = ["userAdded", "userModified"] as const;
export type NotificationOption = typeof NOTIFICATION_OPTIONS[number];

I would like all of those arrays to be sorted.

Today, sort-array-includes and sort-sets don't affect them.

Current rules

sort-array-includes and sort-sets generally do the same things: they sort arrays under different condition. This feature proposal is also related to sorting arrays, but with another different condition.

Proposal

Create a new rule sort-array while allowing users to choose the configuration they want depending on their needs. sort-array-includes and sort-sets could be deprecated until next major version release.

Example configuration with useConfigurationIf (placeholder option names)

{
  'perfectionist/sort-array': [
    'error',
    {
      useConfigurationIf: {
        anyOf: [
		  {
			isSetDeclaration: true // Sort sets
		  },
		  {
			isArrayDeclaration: true,
			calledMethodMatchesPattern: "^includes$" // Sort array includes
		  },
		  {
			isConstantDeclaration: true,
			hasNoCalledMethod: true // Sort array enums
		  }
		]
      },
    },
	{
	  type: 'unsorted' // Fallback configuration: don't sort anything else
	}
  ],
}

Advantages

• Highly customizable.
• Easy to add additional options later on.

Cons

• Requires configuring.

Validations

• Read the docs.
• Check that there isn't already an issue that reports the same bug to avoid creating a duplicate.

[hugop95]

@azat-io @OlivierZal

What do you think about this? Curious to hear your opinions?

[azat-io]

Looks good. But it's going to be a breaking change. And I'd rather do it later. Since we had a major release recently.

[hugop95]

@azat-io We could keep sort-array-includes and sort-sets while also having sort-arrays, users would not have to migrate immediately.

[OlivierZal]

@hugop95, I like the idea very much: powerful and I confess I would use it since there are many contexts where order doesn't matter.

Just wondering if sort-arrays isn't too scary, because an array is ordered by definition, and it's maybe to narrow to reflect it could also sort sets and others. Maybe sort-array-like?

[azat-io]

I think it's better to have two separate sort-arrays and sort-sets rules.

[azat-io]

@hugop95 What would be the default settings for this rule?

[hugop95]

@OlivierZal Placeholder name for now! We can think about that later!

@azat-io A configuration that does what sort-array-includes/sort-sets do by default. Maybe also sorts const arrays of string as well?

[azat-io]

I'm a little concerned that this is a pretty insecure feature and the order of the arrays matters. And code safety is a top priority for us.

So it makes sense to discuss how it will work.

[hugop95]

@azat-io

I'm a little concerned that this is a pretty insecure feature and the order of the arrays matters

By default, the rule would do the same as what sort-array-includes does today:

• Only target arrays called with includes directly.
• However, we allow the user to override the useConfigurationIf option to choose exactly what arrays they want to target thanks to filters such as:
  • Is the array a constant
  • Is the array an array of string
  • A pattern to match the function called on this array

For example:

Default configuration to sort the same as array-includes

{
  'perfectionist/sort-array': [
    'error',
    {
      useConfigurationIf: {
        anyOf: [
		  {
			isArrayDeclaration: true,
			calledMethodMatchesPattern: "^includes$" // Sort array includes
		  }
		]
      },
    },
    {
	  type: 'unsorted' // Fallback configuration: don't sort anything else
    }
  ],
}

The main drawbacks is that:

• It's less "direct" than a sort-array-includes rule that will by default target only those types of arrays.
• If a user wants to override useConfigurationIf, they have to remember to keep the anyOf part of the default configuration to keep targeting the array.includes() elements.

Advantages:

• High customization for users who want it.

Let me know if something isn't clear!