Question: I have an `NSArray` of `NSDictionaries`. In the `NSDictionary` I have an element called 'rowID' which is saved as an `NSString`. However, everything saved in it is a number even though they saved as a string.

I would like to know how to sort the array based on this value but in terms of sorting 1-100. Currently, when I sort it 10 comes first when it should be 1-10.

This is how I am sorting:

```
NSArray *tempSortedItemsArray = [itemArray sortedArrayUsingDescriptors:
                                     @[[NSSortDescriptor
                                        sortDescriptorWithKey:@"rowID" ascending:YES]]];

```

Answer: 
Try this :-

```
NSArray *aSortedArray = [itemArray sortedArrayUsingComparator:^(NSMutableDictionary *obj1,NSMutableDictionary *obj2) {
    NSString *num1 =[obj1 objectForKey:@"rowID"];
    NSString *num2 =[obj2 objectForKey:@"rowID"];
    return (NSComparisonResult) [num1 compare:num2 options:(NSNumericSearch)];
}];

```
You can get numeric sorting by following this code:-

```
NSMutableArray *tmpAr = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];

NSMutableDictionary *tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number5"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"5" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number3"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"3" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number2"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"2" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number1"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"1" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number4"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"4" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number25"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"25" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number10"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"10" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

tmpDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[tmpDict setObject:@"name" forKey:@"number7"];
[tmpDict setObject:@"7" forKey:@"id"];
[tmpAr addObject:tmpDict];

NSLog(@"tmpar1 = %@",tmpAr);

[tmpAr sortUsingComparator:
 ^(id obj1, id obj2)
 {
     NSInteger value1 = [[obj1 objectForKey: @"id"] intValue];
     NSInteger value2 = [[obj2 objectForKey: @"id"] intValue];
     if (value1 > value2)
     {
         return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedDescending;
     }

     if (value1 < value2)
     {
         return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedAscending;
     }
     return (NSComparisonResult)NSOrderedSame;
 }];

NSLog(@"tmpar2 = %@",tmpAr);

```