array_sort_asc

This page explains how to use the array_sort_asc function in APL.

Use the array_sort_asc function to return a new array that contains all the elements of the input array, sorted in ascending order. This function is useful when you want to normalize the order of array elements for comparison, presentation, or further processing—such as identifying patterns, comparing sequences, or selecting boundary values.

You can apply array_sort_asc to arrays of numbers, strings, or dynamic objects, making it useful across many telemetry, logging, and security data scenarios.

For users of other query languages

If you come from other query languages, this section explains how to adjust your existing queries to achieve the same results in APL.

Splunk SPL users

In Splunk SPL, arrays are typically handled through mvsort, which sorts multivalue fields in ascending order. In APL, array_sort_asc provides similar functionality but works on dynamic arrays and returns a new sorted array.

Splunk example

| eval sorted_values = mvsort(multivalue_field)

ANSI SQL users

ANSI SQL does not directly support array data types or array sorting. You typically normalize arrays with UNNEST and sort the results using ORDER BY. In APL, you can sort arrays inline using array_sort_asc, which is more concise and expressive.

SQL example

SELECT val
FROM UNNEST([4, 2, 5]) AS val
ORDER BY val ASC

Usage

Syntax

array_sort_asc(array)

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
array	dynamic	✔️	An array of values to sort. Can be numbers, strings, or other primitives.

Returns

A new array that contains the same elements as the input array, sorted in ascending order. If the input is not an array, the function returns an empty array.

Example

Query

['sample-http-logs']
| project sort = array_sort_asc(dynamic(['x', 'a', 'm', 'o', 'i']))

Run in Playground

Output

[
  [
    "a",
    "i",
    "m",
    "o",
    "x"
  ]
]

List of related functions

• array_index_of: Returns the position of an element in an array. Use after sorting to find where values fall.
• array_length: Returns the number of elements in an array. Use to understand array size before or after sorting.
• array_slice: Returns a subrange of the array. Useful after sorting to get top-N or bottom-N elements.
• array_sort_desc: Sorts array elements in descending order. Use when you need reverse ordering.