DEV Community

Usama
Usama

Posted on

โœจ Add Sorting Feature to My React Packing list (Listo) App

Ever wanted your React packing list to feel smarter and more user-friendly? ๐Ÿ˜Ž
In this post, weโ€™ll add a simple yet powerful sorting feature that lets users reorder their items by input order, description, or packed status โ€” all with one fun dropdown! ๐ŸŽ’


๐Ÿง  The Idea

When building a packing list, itโ€™s easy to lose track of things as your list grows.
Thatโ€™s why sorting is so helpful! Weโ€™ll give users three options:

  • ๐Ÿ“ Sort by Input Order โ€“ items appear in the order you added them
  • ๐Ÿ”ค Sort by Description โ€“ alphabetical order
  • ๐ŸŽ’ Sort by Packed Status โ€“ packed items grouped together

Itโ€™s a small feature that makes a huge difference in usability and polish. ๐Ÿ’Ž


โš™๏ธ The Logic Behind It

Weโ€™ll use a simple React state to handle sorting:

const [sortBy, setSortBy] = useState("input");
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Then, based on the userโ€™s choice, weโ€™ll apply a different sorting method:

if (sortBy === "input") sortedItems = items;
if (sortBy === "description") sortedItems = items.slice().sort(...);
if (sortBy === "packed") sortedItems = items.slice().sort(...);
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Whenever the user changes the dropdown, the component re-renders and displays the updated order โ€” instantly and smoothly โšก


๐ŸŽจ The Sorting Dropdown

Below your list, just add a dropdown for sorting options:

<select>
  <option value="input">๐Ÿ“ Sort by Input Order</option>
  <option value="description">๐Ÿ”ค Sort by Description</option>
  <option value="packed">๐ŸŽ’ Sort by Packed Status</option>
</select>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Now your users can control how they view their list โ€” and it looks great too! โœจ


๐ŸŽ‰ Final Result

Your packing list app now supports:

  • ๐Ÿงบ Easy sorting
  • ๐Ÿ”ค Clean alphabetical order
  • ๐ŸŽ’ Grouped packed items

A simple dropdown turns a basic app into a polished experience that feels professional and satisfying to use. ๐Ÿ™Œ


โค๏ธ Wrap-Up

This sorting feature is proof that small touches can elevate your appโ€™s UX.
You donโ€™t always need big frameworks or complex libraries โ€” just thoughtful interaction and clean logic.

Top comments (0)