jquery - Sort by a.text value -

i have markup

<div id="aercology">     <div class="row shaded">       <div class="columns one">        <span><a href="#">gema</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns two">        <span><a href="#">air quality<br>engineering(aqe)</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns three">        <span><a href="#">whitney</a></span>       </div>     </div>    <div class="row">       <div class="columns one">        <span><a href="#">guyson</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns two">        <span><a href="#">hoffman</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns three">        <span><a href="#">micro air</a></span>       </div>     </div> </div> 

how use jquery sort text in alphabetical order. retaining class shaded on div row.?? div row goes through alternately..

current code

var mylist = jquery('#aercology');                  var listitems = mylist.children('.columns span a').get();                  listitems.sort(function(a, b) {                    return jquery(a).text().touppercase().localecompare(jquery(b).text().touppercase());                 });                  jquery.each(listitems, function(index, item) {                    mylist.append(item);                  }); 

desired output be

<div id="aercology">     <div class="row shaded">       <div class="columns one">        <span><a href="#">air quality<br>engineering(aqe)</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns two">       <span><a href="#">gema</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns three">        <span><a href="#">guyson</a></span>       </div>     </div>    <div class="row">       <div class="columns one">         <span><a href="#">hoffman</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns two">         <span><a href="#">micro air</a></span>       </div>       <div class="columns three">       <span><a href="#">whitney</a></span>       </div>     </div> </div> 

any appreciated

you can do:

var items = $('.row a').map(function () {   return $(this).html(); }).get();  items.sort().reverse();  $(".row a").each(function(){   $(this).html(items.pop()) }) 

demo