Technical Insights • • 1 min read
Sort String as Int
A simple PowerShell trick to sort strings numerically using -as [int] – essential when dealing with version numbers or ID strings.
Twice a year I need to sort a string as an integer. With PowerShell it’s really simple.
Without casting, Sort-Object sorts lexicographically – so "199" comes before "23":
"199", "23", "89" | Sort-Object
# Output: 199, 23, 89 (wrong order)The fix is to cast to [int] inside a script block:
"199", "23", "89" | Sort-Object -Property { $_ -as [int] }
# Output: 23, 89, 199 (correct order)This tip comes from Mathias R. Jessen. He also covers more advanced cases – for example sorting mixed strings like IR343 and IR1342 numerically – in his RegEx session at PSConfEU.