---
title: "Learning PowerShell Sort-Object with Examples"
description: "Learn all of the ins-and-outs of the PowerShell Sort-Object cmdlet in this example driven tutorial by ATA Learning!"
canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-sort-object/"
---

# Learning PowerShell Sort-Object with Examples

> Learn all of the ins-and-outs of the PowerShell Sort-Object cmdlet in this example driven tutorial by ATA Learning!

Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-sort-object/

---

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![Learning PowerShell Sort-Object with Examples](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/powershell-sort-object.jpg)

# Learning PowerShell Sort-Object with Examples

[![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2788bb1a3f735603f81eca51d68daec56a9d97e805a10268fb2c20afcc76b81b?s=192&d=mm&r=g)Nicholas Xuan Nguyen](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/nicholas-xuan-nguyen/)20 July 20234 min. read

Categories: [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/)

Tags:[PowerShell](/tag/powershell/)[PowerShell Language](/tag/powershell-language/)

Table of Contents

*   [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
*   [Sorting Data with the PowerShell Sort-Object cmdlet](#sorting-data-with-the-powershell-sort-object-cmdlet)
*   [Sorting Data by Unique Values](#sorting-data-by-unique-values)
*   [Sorting Data by Strings](#sorting-data-by-strings)
*   [Sorting Data by Properties](#sorting-data-by-properties)
*   [Sorting Hash Tables](#sorting-hash-tables)
*   [Conclusion](#conclusion)

Sorting data should not be an overbearing task. If you are looking for an efficient way to sort data, the PowerShell `Sort-Object` cmdlet is here to help!

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PowerShell `Sort-Object` cmdlet to sort data, be it numbers, strings, or objects.

Scrap the constant eyeballing through your data and sort them efficiently in PowerShell!

## Prerequisites

Ensure you have a machine with PowerShell 5.0 or later installed for this tutorial to follow along with the hands-on demonstrations. This tutorial uses Windows 10 with PowerShell 7 installed.

Related:[PowerShell 7 Upgrade : A How to Walk Through](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-7-upgrade/)

## Sorting Data with the PowerShell `Sort-Object` cmdlet

Depending on your requirements, you can sort data based on one or more properties in many ways. The `Sort-Object` cmdlet allows you to sort data, for example, in ascending or descending order to ease analyzing and working with structured information.

The basic syntax of the `Sort-Object` cmdlet is as follows where:

*   `<Object-to-Sort>` – Refers to collecting data to sort, such as an array, a list, or other data types.
*   `<-Parameter>` – An optional parameter to specify the sorting criteria that allows you to customize how the sorting is performed.

```powershell
<Object-to-Sort>|Sort-Object <-Parameter>
```

To see how you can sort data in ascending and descending order:

1\. Open PowerShell and run the below command, which does not provide output but defines a list of random integer numbers in the `$numbers` variable.

Related:[Discover How to Run PowerShell as Administrator](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-run-as-administrator/)

```powershell
$numbers = 4, 2, 3, 1, 5
```

> 💡 _Note that in PowerShell, you are not just working with numbers and strings but objects since PowerShell is an [object-oriented](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-objects/) language and shell._

Related:[Back to Basics: Understanding PowerShell Objects](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-objects/)

2\. Next, execute the following commands to sort (`Sort-Objects`) and display (`Write-Output`) the numbers defined in the `$numbers` variable.

```bash
$sortedNumbers = $numbers | Sort-Object
Write-Output $sortedNumbers
```

Related:[PowerShell Write-Output: Your Friendly Output Companion](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-write-output/)

Without appending parameters, the output displays the numbers in ascending order.

![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-171.png)

Sorting data in ascending order

3\. Now, run the same commands, but this time, append the `-Descending` parameter to sort and display the numbers in descending order.

```powershell
$sortedNumbers = $numbers | Sort-Object -Descending
Write-Output $sortedNumbers
```

The output similar to the one below indicates the numbers have been sorted in descending order.

![Sorting numbers in descending order](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-170.png)

Sorting numbers in descending order

## Sorting Data by Unique Values

Sorting data in ascending and descending order is one thing. But there may be instances where you need to sort data based on unique values. In this context, “unique” refers to distinct or non-repeated values within a dataset.

To sort data by unique values:

Run the following commands to perform the following:

*   Define a list of integer numbers (with duplicates included) in the `$numbers` variable.
*   Sort the numbers by `-Unique` values in `-Descending` order and store the result in the `$sortedNumbers` variable.

When sorting by unique values, you arrange the data so that each value appears only once in the sorted result, eliminating duplicates.

These commands do not provide output, but you will verify the sorted data in the following step.

```powershell
$numbers = 4, 2, 3, 3, 1, 5, 2
$sortedNumbers = $numbers | Sort-Object -Unique -Descending
```

Now, run the `Write-Output` command below to output the contents of the `$sortedNumbers` variable to verify the result.

```powershell
Write-Output $sortedNumbers
```

Below, all unique values are sorted in descending order, and duplicate values have been eliminated.

As you can see, sorting by unique values enhances data analysis efficiency and eliminates redundant information when dealing with large datasets.

![powershell sort-object -Sorting data by unique values](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-172.png)

Sorting data by unique values

## Sorting Data by Strings

So far, you have seen how to sort numeric values. But what if you are working with strings? Worry not. The `Sort-Object` cmdlet lets you arrange string data in a specific order based on sorting criteria.

In this context, a string refers to a single character or a sequence of characters, such as words, phrases, or other textual data. In PowerShell, strings are represented by enclosing the text within quotation marks, either single (**`'`**) or double (**`"`**).

Execute the following commands to sort an array of strings in ascending (alphabetical) order by default.

Sorting strings in PowerShell provides flexibility in organizing textual data in a desired order, allowing efficient data manipulation and analysis.

```powershell
# Define an array of strings
$strings = "a", "b", "c" 
# Sort the strings in ascending order by default (no parameters)
$sortedStrings = $strings | Sort-Object
# Display the sorted strings
Write-Output $sortedStrings
```

![Sorting strings in alphabetical order](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-174.png)

Sorting strings in alphabetical order

Now, run the same commands, but sort them in `-Descending` order instead.

```powershell
# Define an array of strings
$strings = "a", "b", "c" 
# Sort the strings in descending order
$sortedStrings = $strings | Sort-Object -Descending
# Display the sorted strings
Write-Output $sortedStrings
```

This time you will see the output in the reverse order, as shown below.

![Sorting strings in the reverse order](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-173.png)

Sorting strings in the reverse order

## **Sorting Data by Properties**

No doubt sorting string comes in handy. But typically, you should be more specific when sorting data. In addition to sorting strings, why not sort objects based on their properties?

When working with PowerShell objects, each object typically possesses one or more properties you can use for sorting. These properties allow you to define your sorting criteria tailored to your needs.

Execute the following commands to retrieve a list of all running processes ([`Get-Process`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/get-process)) in your system and sort them by `CPU` utilization. The `-Descending` parameter displays the result with the most resource-intensive processes listed first.

```powershell
# Retrieve a collection of all running processes
$processes = Get-Process

# Sort the processes based on CPU usage in descending order
$sortedProcesses = $processes | Sort-Object -Property CPU -Descending

# Select and display the Name and CPU properties of each process
$sortedProcesses | Select-Object Name, CPU
```

Related:[Steamy PowerShell Get-Process Cmdlet](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-get-process/)

![Sorting data by properties](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-175.png)

Sorting data by properties

## Sorting Hash Tables

Sorting objects by properties is a game-changer when working with data analysis. But what about organizing data in key-value pairs like hash tables?

The `Sort-Object` cmdlet lets you sort hash tables to enhance data presentation and simplifies information retrieval.

Related:[A Beginner Guide to Using PowerShell Hashtable](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-hashtable/)

Run the following code to convert a hash table into an array of key-value pairs and sort the hash table by its keys.

```powershell
# Create a hash table with three key-value pairs
$hashTable = @{
    "C" = "Charlie"
    "A" = "Alpha"
    "B" = "Bravo"
}

# Sort the hash table by keys and store the sorted result in $sortedHashTable
$sortedHashTable = $hashTable.GetEnumerator() | Sort-Object -Property Name

# Iterate through each entry in the sorted hash table
foreach ($entry in $sortedHashTable) {
    # Output the key-value pair
    Write-Output "$($entry.Name): $($entry.Value)"
}
```

Since keys sort the hash table, the output will resemble the following, where you can observe the output organizes and displays key-value pairs in a specific order.

This sorting method ensures better data presentation and makes retrieving information from the hash table easier.

![Sorting hash tables](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-176.png)

Sorting hash tables

## Conclusion

Throughout this tutorial, you have explored how to sort unique values, strings, numbers, processes, and even hash tables with the `Sort-Object` cmdlet. Data sorting is one task that lets you pave the way to a more insightful data analysis, and with the PowerShell `Sort-Object` cmdlet, you are on the right track.

Armed with this newfound knowledge, you can now ensure your data is organized meaningfully and confidently showcase it to others.

Sorting is just one of the many valuable capabilities of PowerShell and its cmdlets. Why not expand your skills by learning about other cmdlets? Perhaps create program logs with [`Tee-Object`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/tee-object?view=powershell-7.3) or measure object sizes with [`Measure-Object`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/measure-object?view=powershell-7.3)?

Related:[PowerShell Measure-Object: A Complete Guide](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-measure-object/)

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