#no-array-sort-for-min-max

#Configuration

import { defineConfig, unicornPlugin } from '@rslint/core';

export default defineConfig([
  unicornPlugin.configs.recommended,
  {
    rules: {
      'unicorn/no-array-sort-for-min-max': 'error',
    },
  },
]);

#Rule Details

Use Math.min() or Math.max() to find a numeric extreme in one pass. Sorting the whole array takes O(n log n) work just to read one item.

The rule checks sort() and toSorted() with simple numeric comparators such as (a, b) => a - b or (a, b) => b - a. It reports reads using [0], .at(0), or .at(-1).

Examples of incorrect code:

const minByIndex = array.sort((a, b) => a - b)[0];
const minByAt = array.toSorted((a, b) => a - b).at(0);
const maxByAt = array.sort((a, b) => a - b).at(-1);
const maxByIndex = array.toSorted((a, b) => b - a)[0];

Examples of correct code:

const minimum = Math.min(...array);
const maximum = Math.max(...array);
const sorted = array.toSorted((a, b) => a - b);
const first = array.toSorted((a, b) => a.value - b.value)[0];

The rule offers editor suggestions. Review them before applying because sort() mutates the original array, and the replacement can behave differently with empty arrays, sparse arrays, NaN, or arrays too large to spread into a function call.

#Differences from upstream

Rslint reports the sort and withholds the editor suggestion when Math resolves to a local binding or is set to 'off' in languageOptions.globals.

function minimum(Math) {
  return [3, 1, 2].toSorted((a, b) => a - b)[0];
}

#Original Documentation

• eslint-plugin-unicorn: no-array-sort-for-min-max
• Source code