function ascending( a, b ) {
	return String( a ).localeCompare( String( b ), void 0, SORT_OPTS );
}
Comparator function to sort values in ascending order.

@private
@param {*} a - first value
@param {*} b - second value
@returns {number} negative number if `a` comes before `b, positive if `a` comes after `b`, and `0` if they are equivalent