Sorting and Grouping Data

This topic describes how to sort and group data.

You can choose to do a primary sort in the upper pane (based on one column), or more complicated sorts up to a fourth order.

In this topic:

Performing a Primary Sort on One Column

To perform a primary sort on one column, do the following:

1. Open the view on the data you wish to sort or group.

2. Click a column header to sort the data in the upper pane based on the value in that column.

   The sort is in ascending order by number, letter, internal order, or internal key, depending on the data.

3. Click the column header again to reverse the sort order.

A triangle appears on the column header of the sorted column. The triangle points upward for ascending sorts and downward for descending sorts.

Back to top

Performing Up to a Fourth-Order Sort

To perform up to a fourth-order sort, do the following:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Right-click a column header on upper pane and choose Sort and Group.
   • Right-click in the upper pane and choose Filters > Sort and Group.

   The Sort and Group dialog box displays four group boxes, each indented slightly more to the right than the one above it. The first group box designates a primary sort order, the second designates a secondary sort, and so on.

2. Optionally, check the Show Advanced Fields check box at the bottom of the dialog box to list all the fields in First By and Then By lists. Some fields are rarely used and considered advanced.
3. Select a field from the First By list.

   If you are grouping the items, the field does not need to be displayed in the upper pane. If you are not grouping the items, you can sort them based on a field that is not displayed, but you will not be able to tell where one group leaves off and the next begins.

4. Select the Ascending or Descending option button. The default setting is ascending order.

5. Select Group By to group the items which have the same values in this field.

   If you do not select any additional sort options, text fields are sorted in ASCII order. Enumerated and user ID fields are sorted by their internal order or internal keys. That is, enumerated fields are sorted in the order given to them by the person who created the field; user ID fields are sorted in the order in which they were created. The application disables the Sort Options button for numeric and date/time fields.

6. Optionally, click Sort Options for additional sorting selections. The Sort Options dialog box opens.

   • Select As Text to sort enumerated and user ID fields by the names of their possible values. For text fields, As Text is your only choice.
   • Clear the Case-sensitive check box to sort alphabetically or check it to sort in ASCII order (where uppercase letters precede lowercase letters).
7. Add secondary and lower order sorts by using the Then By Group boxes as needed.

Back to top