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Stack Overflow for Teams SDK

Communities Sorting Methods

Convenience methods for retrieving communities with predefined sorting options for common use cases.

getAllByName()

Section titled “getAllByName()”

Retrieves communities sorted alphabetically by name in ascending order.

Syntax

Section titled “Syntax”
async getAllByName(options?: Omit<GetCommunitiesOptions, 'sort' | 'order'>): Promise<PaginatedCommunities>

Parameters

Section titled “Parameters”
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
optionsOmit<GetCommunitiesOptions, 'sort' | 'order'>NoPagination options (excludes sort and order)

Available Options

Section titled “Available Options”
PropertyTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
pagenumberNo1The page number to retrieve (1-based)
pageSize15 | 30 | 50 | 100No30Number of communities to return per page

getAllByMemberCount()

Section titled “getAllByMemberCount()”

Retrieves communities sorted by member count in descending order (largest communities first).

Syntax

Section titled “Syntax”
async getAllByMemberCount(options?: Omit<GetCommunitiesOptions, 'sort' | 'order'>): Promise<PaginatedCommunities>

Parameters

Section titled “Parameters”
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
optionsOmit<GetCommunitiesOptions, 'sort' | 'order'>NoPagination options (excludes sort and order)

Available Options

Section titled “Available Options”
PropertyTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
pagenumberNo1The page number to retrieve (1-based)
pageSize15 | 30 | 50 | 100No30Number of communities to return per page

Return Value

Section titled “Return Value”

Both methods return a Promise<PaginatedCommunities> with the same structure as getAll():

PropertyTypeDescription
totalCountnumberTotal number of communities available
pageSizenumberNumber of items per page
pagenumberCurrent page number
totalPagesnumberTotal number of pages available
sortCommunitySortParameterSort parameter used ("name" or "size")
orderSortOrderSort order used ("asc" or "desc")
itemsCommunitySummaryResponseModel[]Array of community summary objects

Examples

Section titled “Examples”

Basic Alphabetical Listing

Section titled “Basic Alphabetical Listing”
import { StackOverflowSDK } from 'so-teams-sdk';


const sdk = new StackOverflowSDK({
  accessToken: 'your-access-token',
  baseUrl: 'https://[your-site].stackenterprise.co/api/v3'
});


// Get communities in alphabetical order
const alphabeticalCommunities = await sdk.communities.getAllByName();


console.log('Communities in alphabetical order:');
alphabeticalCommunities.items.forEach((community, index) => {
  console.log(`${index + 1}. ${community.name} (${community.memberCount} members)`);
});

Top Communities by Size

Section titled “Top Communities by Size”
// Get largest communities first
const topCommunities = await sdk.communities.getAllByMemberCount({
  pageSize: 20
});


console.log('Top 20 largest communities:');
topCommunities.items.forEach((community, index) => {
  console.log(`${index + 1}. ${community.name}`);
  console.log(`   Members: ${community.memberCount}`);
  console.log(`   Description: ${community.description || 'No description'}`);
  console.log('');
});

Community Directory Generation

Section titled “Community Directory Generation”
async function generateCommunityDirectory() {
  try {
    // Get all communities alphabetically for directory
    const allByName = await sdk.communities.getAllByName({
      pageSize: 100
    });


    // Get top communities by size for highlights
    const topBySize = await sdk.communities.getAllByMemberCount({
      pageSize: 10
    });


    const directory = {
      metadata: {
        totalCommunities: allByName.totalCount,
        generatedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
        sortedAlphabetically: allByName.items.length,
        topCommunitiesHighlighted: topBySize.items.length
      },
      alphabeticalIndex: allByName.items.map(community => ({
        name: community.name,
        id: community.id,
        memberCount: community.memberCount,
        description: community.description,
        tags: community.tags?.map(t => t.name) || []
      })),
      topCommunities: topBySize.items.map((community, index) => ({
        rank: index + 1,
        name: community.name,
        id: community.id,
        memberCount: community.memberCount,
        description: community.description,
        growthIndicator: community.memberCount > 500 ? 'Large' :
                        community.memberCount > 100 ? 'Medium' : 'Small'
      })),
      categories: generateCommunityCategories(allByName.items)
    };


    return directory;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to generate community directory:', error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}


function generateCommunityCategories(communities: any[]) {
  const categories = {
    byFirstLetter: {},
    bySize: {
      large: communities.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) > 500),
      medium: communities.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) > 100 && (c.memberCount || 0) <= 500),
      small: communities.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) <= 100)
    }
  };


  // Group by first letter
  communities.forEach(community => {
    const firstLetter = community.name.charAt(0).toUpperCase();
    if (!categories.byFirstLetter[firstLetter]) {
      categories.byFirstLetter[firstLetter] = [];
    }
    categories.byFirstLetter[firstLetter].push(community);
  });


  return categories;
}


const communityDirectory = await generateCommunityDirectory();
console.log('Community Directory Generated:', communityDirectory.metadata);

Community Comparison Analysis

Section titled “Community Comparison Analysis”
async function compareCommunityRankings() {
  try {
    // Get communities sorted alphabetically and by size
    const [byName, bySize] = await Promise.all([
      sdk.communities.getAllByName({ pageSize: 50 }),
      sdk.communities.getAllByMemberCount({ pageSize: 50 })
    ]);


    // Create ranking comparison
    const comparison = byName.items.map(community => {
      const sizeRank = bySize.items.findIndex(c => c.id === community.id) + 1;
      const alphabeticalRank = byName.items.findIndex(c => c.id === community.id) + 1;


      return {
        name: community.name,
        id: community.id,
        memberCount: community.memberCount,
        rankings: {
          alphabetical: alphabeticalRank,
          bySize: sizeRank > 0 ? sizeRank : 'Not in top 50',
          sizeDifference: sizeRank > 0 ? Math.abs(alphabeticalRank - sizeRank) : null
        },
        category: community.memberCount > 1000 ? 'Giant' :
                 community.memberCount > 500 ? 'Large' :
                 community.memberCount > 100 ? 'Medium' : 'Small'
      };
    });


    // Find interesting patterns
    const analysis = {
      totalAnalyzed: comparison.length,
      giantCommunities: comparison.filter(c => c.category === 'Giant'),
      mostActiveSmallCommunities: comparison
        .filter(c => c.category === 'Small' && c.rankings.bySize !== 'Not in top 50')
        .sort((a, b) => (typeof a.rankings.bySize === 'number' ? a.rankings.bySize : 999) -
                       (typeof b.rankings.bySize === 'number' ? b.rankings.bySize : 999)),
      biggestRankingGaps: comparison
        .filter(c => c.rankings.sizeDifference !== null)
        .sort((a, b) => (b.rankings.sizeDifference || 0) - (a.rankings.sizeDifference || 0))
        .slice(0, 5),
      alphabeticalDistribution: analyzeAlphabeticalDistribution(comparison)
    };


    console.log('Community Ranking Analysis:');
    console.log(`- Giant communities: ${analysis.giantCommunities.length}`);
    console.log(`- Most active small communities: ${analysis.mostActiveSmallCommunities.length}`);
    console.log('- Biggest ranking gaps:');


    analysis.biggestRankingGaps.forEach(community => {
      console.log(`  ${community.name}: Alphabetical #${community.rankings.alphabetical}, Size #${community.rankings.bySize} (gap: ${community.rankings.sizeDifference})`);
    });


    return analysis;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to compare community rankings:', error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}


function analyzeAlphabeticalDistribution(communities: any[]) {
  const distribution = {};


  communities.forEach(community => {
    const firstLetter = community.name.charAt(0).toUpperCase();
    if (!distribution[firstLetter]) {
      distribution[firstLetter] = { count: 0, totalMembers: 0, communities: [] };
    }
    distribution[firstLetter].count++;
    distribution[firstLetter].totalMembers += community.memberCount || 0;
    distribution[firstLetter].communities.push(community.name);
  });


  // Convert to sorted array
  return Object.entries(distribution)
    .map(([letter, data]: [string, any]) => ({
      letter,
      communityCount: data.count,
      totalMembers: data.totalMembers,
      averageSize: Math.round(data.totalMembers / data.count),
      examples: data.communities.slice(0, 3)
    }))
    .sort((a, b) => b.communityCount - a.communityCount);
}


const rankingAnalysis = await compareCommunityRankings();

Community Discovery Workflows

Section titled “Community Discovery Workflows”
async function discoverCommunitiesByInterest() {
  try {
    // Get communities by different sorting methods
    const alphabetical = await sdk.communities.getAllByName({ pageSize: 30 });
    const byPopularity = await sdk.communities.getAllByMemberCount({ pageSize: 30 });


    const discovery = {
      browseAlphabetically: {
        title: "Browse Communities A-Z",
        description: "Find communities by exploring alphabetical listings",
        communities: alphabetical.items.map(c => ({
          name: c.name,
          members: c.memberCount,
          description: c.description?.substring(0, 100) + (c.description?.length > 100 ? '...' : ''),
          category: getCommunityCategory(c)
        }))
      },
      popularCommunities: {
        title: "Most Popular Communities",
        description: "Join thriving communities with active membership",
        communities: byPopularity.items.slice(0, 15).map((c, index) => ({
          rank: index + 1,
          name: c.name,
          members: c.memberCount,
          description: c.description?.substring(0, 100) + (c.description?.length > 100 ? '...' : ''),
          popularityTier: index < 5 ? 'Top Tier' : index < 10 ? 'High Activity' : 'Active'
        }))
      },
      recommendations: generateDiscoveryRecommendations(alphabetical.items, byPopularity.items)
    };


    return discovery;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Community discovery failed:', error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}


function getCommunityCategory(community: any): string {
  const memberCount = community.memberCount || 0;
  if (memberCount > 1000) return 'Mega Community';
  if (memberCount > 500) return 'Large Community';
  if (memberCount > 100) return 'Medium Community';
  if (memberCount > 20) return 'Small Community';
  return 'Emerging Community';
}


function generateDiscoveryRecommendations(alphabetical: any[], popular: any[]): string[] {
  const recommendations = [];


  // Find communities that appear in both lists (balanced popularity and good naming)
  const balanced = alphabetical.filter(a =>
    popular.some(p => p.id === a.id) && (a.memberCount || 0) > 200 && (a.memberCount || 0) < 800
  );


  if (balanced.length > 0) {
    recommendations.push(`Consider joining ${balanced[0].name} - well-established community with active membership`);
  }


  // Find emerging communities
  const emerging = alphabetical.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) < 50 && (c.memberCount || 0) > 10);
  if (emerging.length > 0) {
    recommendations.push(`${emerging.length} emerging communities could benefit from your participation`);
  }


  // Find niche communities
  const niche = alphabetical.filter(c =>
    (c.memberCount || 0) > 50 && (c.memberCount || 0) < 200 && !popular.slice(0, 20).some(p => p.id === c.id)
  );


  if (niche.length > 0) {
    recommendations.push(`${niche.length} specialized communities offer focused discussions`);
  }


  return recommendations;
}


const discoveryGuide = await discoverCommunitiesByInterest();
console.log('Community Discovery Guide:');
console.log('Popular Communities:', discoveryGuide.popularCommunities.communities.slice(0, 5));
console.log('Recommendations:', discoveryGuide.recommendations);

Community Growth Analysis

Section titled “Community Growth Analysis”
async function analyzeCommunityGrowthPatterns() {
  try {
    // Get communities sorted by size to analyze growth patterns
    const communitiesBySize = await sdk.communities.getAllByMemberCount({
      pageSize: 100
    });


    // Calculate growth distribution
    const memberCounts = communitiesBySize.items.map(c => c.memberCount || 0);
    const totalMembers = memberCounts.reduce((sum, count) => sum + count, 0);
    const averageSize = totalMembers / memberCounts.length;
    const median = calculateMedian(memberCounts);


    // Categorize communities by growth stages
    const growthStages = {
      emerging: communitiesBySize.items.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) <= 25),
      growing: communitiesBySize.items.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) > 25 && (c.memberCount || 0) <= 100),
      established: communitiesBySize.items.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) > 100 && (c.memberCount || 0) <= 500),
      mature: communitiesBySize.items.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) > 500 && (c.memberCount || 0) <= 1000),
      giant: communitiesBySize.items.filter(c => (c.memberCount || 0) > 1000)
    };


    // Analyze growth distribution
    const stageAnalysis = Object.entries(growthStages).map(([stage, communities]) => {
      const counts = communities.map(c => c.memberCount || 0);
      return {
        stage,
        communityCount: communities.length,
        percentage: parseFloat((communities.length / communitiesBySize.items.length * 100).toFixed(1)),
        totalMembers: counts.reduce((sum, count) => sum + count, 0),
        averageSize: counts.length > 0 ? Math.round(counts.reduce((sum, count) => sum + count, 0) / counts.length) : 0,
        examples: communities.slice(0, 3).map(c => ({ name: c.name, members: c.memberCount }))
      };
    });


    const analysis = {
      overview: {
        totalCommunities: communitiesBySize.totalCount,
        totalMembers,
        averageSize: Math.round(averageSize),
        median,
        largestCommunity: communitiesBySize.items[0],
        smallestCommunity: communitiesBySize.items[communitiesBySize.items.length - 1]
      },
      growthStages: stageAnalysis,
      insights: generateGrowthInsights(stageAnalysis, averageSize),
      recommendations: generateGrowthRecommendations(stageAnalysis)
    };


    console.log('Community Growth Analysis:');
    console.log(`Total Communities: ${analysis.overview.totalCommunities}`);
    console.log(`Average Size: ${analysis.overview.averageSize} members`);
    console.log(`Median Size: ${analysis.overview.median} members`);
    console.log('\nGrowth Stage Distribution:');


    stageAnalysis.forEach(stage => {
      console.log(`${stage.stage.toUpperCase()}: ${stage.communityCount} communities (${stage.percentage}%)`);
      console.log(`  Average size: ${stage.averageSize} members`);
      console.log(`  Total members: ${stage.totalMembers}`);
    });


    return analysis;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Growth analysis failed:', error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}


function calculateMedian(numbers: number[]): number {
  const sorted = [...numbers].sort((a, b) => a - b);
  const mid = Math.floor(sorted.length / 2);
  return sorted.length % 2 === 0
    ? Math.round((sorted[mid - 1] + sorted[mid]) / 2)
    : sorted[mid];
}


function generateGrowthInsights(stageAnalysis: any[], averageSize: number): string[] {
  const insights = [];


  const emergingPercent = stageAnalysis.find(s => s.stage === 'emerging')?.percentage || 0;
  const giantPercent = stageAnalysis.find(s => s.stage === 'giant')?.percentage || 0;
  const establishedPercent = stageAnalysis.find(s => s.stage === 'established')?.percentage || 0;


  if (emergingPercent > 30) {
    insights.push('High number of emerging communities indicates active community creation');
  }


  if (giantPercent > 10) {
    insights.push('Strong presence of giant communities suggests successful community growth');
  }


  if (establishedPercent > 40) {
    insights.push('Healthy ecosystem with many established, stable communities');
  }


  return insights;
}


function generateGrowthRecommendations(stageAnalysis: any[]): string[] {
  const recommendations = [];


  const emerging = stageAnalysis.find(s => s.stage === 'emerging');
  const growing = stageAnalysis.find(s => s.stage === 'growing');


  if (emerging && emerging.communityCount > 20) {
    recommendations.push(`${emerging.communityCount} emerging communities need support to reach critical mass`);
  }


  if (growing && growing.communityCount > 15) {
    recommendations.push(`${growing.communityCount} growing communities are in the expansion phase - good engagement opportunities`);
  }


  recommendations.push('Consider joining a mix of community sizes for diverse engagement experiences');


  return recommendations;
}


const growthAnalysis = await analyzeCommunityGrowthPatterns();

Pagination with Sorting

Section titled “Pagination with Sorting”
async function getAllCommunitiesAlphabetically(): Promise<any[]> {
  const allCommunities: any[] = [];
  let currentPage = 1;
  let hasMorePages = true;


  console.log('Fetching all communities in alphabetical order...');


  while (hasMorePages) {
    const result = await sdk.communities.getAllByName({
      page: currentPage,
      pageSize: 100 // Maximum for efficiency
    });


    allCommunities.push(...result.items);


    hasMorePages = currentPage < result.totalPages;
    currentPage++;


    console.log(`Loaded page ${currentPage - 1} of ${result.totalPages} (${result.items.length} communities)`);
  }


  console.log(`\nCompleted: ${allCommunities.length} communities loaded alphabetically`);
  return allCommunities;
}


async function getAllCommunitiesByPopularity(): Promise<any[]> {
  const allCommunities: any[] = [];
  let currentPage = 1;
  let hasMorePages = true;


  console.log('Fetching all communities by popularity...');


  while (hasMorePages) {
    const result = await sdk.communities.getAllByMemberCount({
      page: currentPage,
      pageSize: 100 // Maximum for efficiency
    });


    allCommunities.push(...result.items);


    hasMorePages = currentPage < result.totalPages;
    currentPage++;


    console.log(`Loaded page ${currentPage - 1} of ${result.totalPages} (${result.items.length} communities)`);
  }


  console.log(`\nCompleted: ${allCommunities.length} communities loaded by popularity`);
  return allCommunities;
}


// Usage
const [alphabeticalList, popularityList] = await Promise.all([
  getAllCommunitiesAlphabetically(),
  getAllCommunitiesByPopularity()
]);


console.log('Complete datasets loaded:');
console.log(`- Alphabetical: ${alphabeticalList.length} communities`);
console.log(`- By popularity: ${popularityList.length} communities`);

Error Handling

Section titled “Error Handling”

These sorting methods inherit the same error handling behavior as getAll():

Error TypeStatus CodeDescription
AuthenticationError401Invalid or missing authentication token
TokenExpiredError401Authentication token has expired
ForbiddenError403Insufficient permissions to access communities
SDKErrorVariousOther API or network errors

Example Error Handling

Section titled “Example Error Handling”
import StackOverflowSDK, { AuthenticationError, ForbiddenError } from 'so-teams-sdk';


const sdk = new StackOverflowSDK({
  accessToken: 'your-access-token',
  baseUrl: 'https://[your-site].stackenterprise.co/api/v3'
});


try {
  const alphabeticalCommunities = await sdk.communities.getAllByName({
    pageSize: 25
  });


  console.log('Alphabetical communities loaded successfully');
  alphabeticalCommunities.items.forEach(community => {
    console.log(`- ${community.name}: ${community.memberCount} members`);
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof AuthenticationError) {
    console.error('Authentication required to access communities');
  } else if (error instanceof ForbiddenError) {
    console.error('Access denied to communities');
  } else {
    console.error('Failed to retrieve communities:', error.message);
  }
}


// Error handling for member count sorting
try {
  const popularCommunities = await sdk.communities.getAllByMemberCount();
  console.log(`Top communities: ${popularCommunities.items.slice(0, 5).map(c => c.name).join(', ')}`);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Failed to get communities by popularity:', error.message);
}

Notes

Section titled “Notes”
  • Predefined Sorting: These methods provide commonly used sorting combinations without manual configuration
  • getAllByName: Always sorts communities alphabetically in ascending order (sort: 'name', order: 'asc')
  • getAllByMemberCount: Always sorts communities by size in descending order (sort: 'size', order: 'desc') - largest first
  • Simplified Interface: Both methods exclude sort and order parameters since they’re predefined
  • Same Return Structure: Return the same PaginatedCommunities structure as getAll() with the applied sorting
  • Performance: No performance difference compared to getAll() with manual sorting parameters
  • Community Discovery: Useful for community discovery workflows and directory generation
  • Pagination Support: Both methods support pagination options for handling large result sets
  • Analysis-Friendly: Ideal for analytics, reporting, and community ecosystem analysis