I have an array as such:

let items = [
  {
    itemName: "Effective Programming Habits",
    type: "book",
    price: 13.99
  },
  {
    itemName: "Chromebook 2",
    type: "puter",
    price: 399.99
  },
 {
    itemName: "Programming 101",
    type: "book",
    price: 15.00
  } 
]

I need to create a function that loops through the array and finds the most expensive item and returns the itemName. I am brand new to JS and don't know really the best way to tackle this.

I have an array as such:

let items = [
  {
    itemName: "Effective Programming Habits",
    type: "book",
    price: 13.99
  },
  {
    itemName: "Chromebook 2",
    type: "puter",
    price: 399.99
  },
 {
    itemName: "Programming 101",
    type: "book",
    price: 15.00
  } 
]

I need to create a function that loops through the array and finds the most expensive item and returns the itemName. I am brand new to JS and don't know really the best way to tackle this.

• javascript
• arrays

• Does this answer your question? Finding the max value of an attribute in an array of objects and return the entire object or ES6 Find the maximum number of an array of objects – Karan Commented Aug 7, 2020 at 4:46

4 Answers 4

You can reduce method. Check the prices and use . to access the max items name.

From MDN: The reduce() method executes a reducer function (that you provide) on each element of the array, resulting in single output value.

? is called ternary operator (its a short form of if and else)

More Info on how reduce works here

Live Demo:

let items = [
  {
    itemName: "Effective Programming Habits",
    type: "book",
    price: 13.99
  },
  {
    itemName: "Chromebook 2",
    type: "puter",
    price: 399.99
  },
 {
    itemName: "Programming 101",
    type: "book",
    price: 15.00
  } 
]

let maxItem = items.reduce((max, min) => max.price > min.price ? max : min);

console.log(maxItem.itemName) //Chromebook 2
console.log(maxItem) //Full object

You can use the Lodash library, it is very easy and fast to integrate. Lodash "maxBy" can find max value from array. https://lodash./docs/4.17.15#maxBy

let items = [
  {
    itemName: "Effective Programming Habits",
    type: "book",
    price: 13.99
  },
  {
    itemName: "Chromebook 2",
    type: "puter",
    price: 399.99
  },
 {
    itemName: "Programming 101",
    type: "book",
    price: 15.00
  } 
]

console.log(_.maxBy(items, function(o) {
      return o.price;
 }));


  

 <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare./ajax/libs/lodash.js/4.17.4/lodash.min.js"></script>

You can try this.

function getMostExp(items) {
  let mostExp = 0;
  let name;

  items.forEach(item => {
   if(item.price > mostExp) {
     mostExp = item.price;
     name = item.itemName;
   }
  });

  return name;
}

UPDATE:

Updated answer to return itemName instead of price.

Sort the array by price, then pop off the last item and get the itemName:

items.sort((a,b) => a.price - b.price).pop().itemName

let items = [
  {
    itemName: "Effective Programming Habits",
    type: "book",
    price: 13.99
  },
  {
    itemName: "Chromebook 2",
    type: "puter",
    price: 399.99
  },
 {
    itemName: "Programming 101",
    type: "book",
    price: 15.00
  } 
]
console.log([...items].sort((a,b) => a.price - b.price).pop().itemName)