Sorting records

To use an existing sort to sort a group of records:

1. Search for or retrieve a group of records.
2. Select Sort on the Home or Tools tab of the Ribbon to display the Sort box:

   

3. Select a Sort from the list and click OK.

   A message displays asking whether you want a summary of the sort terms:

   

4. Select Yes to view the summary.
   The Summary Results window displays

   The Summary Results window displays a summary of the sorted records. It is used to:

   • Check that you specified the correct sort fields and sort order.
   • View and print a summary report of the selected records.
   • Navigate to a selected record.

   The following is an example of a Summary Results window generated in the Parties module. The Sort is called Surname and, as we can see, records are sorted by Surname and then First name, both in ascending order:

   

   The Summary Results window can be used to navigate records in the module. Click a value in the Summary Results window (one of the names in this example) to make its record the current record The record currently displayed in Details View or highlighted in List View (there is a faint dotted line around it). It is only possible to have one current record at a time.:

   

   Select Close to close the Summary Results window and return to the sorted list of results.

   [Close]

   -OR-

   Select No to skip the Summary.

   The records are sorted.

You can save a sort for re-use. This is useful when a sort includes multiple fields and requires some time and effort to set up.

1. Search for or retrieve a group of records.

2. Select Sort on the Home or Tools tab of the Ribbon to display the Sort box:

   

3. Select New to display the Sort Properties box.
4. Enter a descriptive name for the Sort in the top text field.

5. In the Fields list, select a field on which to sort and click Add.

   The field is added to the Order list.

   It is possible to sort records using almost any field with the exception of nested table fields.

   Why can't I sort records using this field?

   It is not possible to sort records using a field that is a Nested table, which is why you won't find fields of this type in the Fields list of the Sort Properties box. Examples of such fields are Assigned To: (Task Information), Notify: (Commencement) and Notify: (Completion) on the Tasks tab:

   

   You can identify whether a field is a nested table with the Field Help tool (place the cursor in the field and press F1). The Kind of the field is identified as Nested Table:

   

   [Close]

6. Continue to select all the fields on which to sort from the Fields list.

   Note: To remove a field from the Order list, select it and click Remove.

7. A group of records is sorted on the first field listed in the Order list, then by the second field, and so on. To adjust the order of fields:

   1. Select a field in the Order list, e.g. Last: (Person Details).
   2. Use the Up and Down arrows to the right of the Order list to move a field name to the position on which to sort.

      In this example we want to sort by Surname first, so we move Last: (Person Details) to the top of the order list:

      

   Note: Records are sorted in alphabetical order by default. To reverse the order, click .

8. If necessary, select the Options tab to change the options.
   Sort options

   

   Sort Comparison	Description
   Word based	Sort disregards all punctuation and white spaces (more than the one space between words). For example: Traveler's Inn will be sorted as Travelers Inn
   Full text	Sort includes all punctuation and white spaces. For example: Traveler's Inn will be sorted as Traveler's Inn
   Compress white space	Sort includes punctuation but disregards all white space (with the exception of a single space between words). For example: Traveler's Inn will be sorted as Traveler's Inn
   Select one or more of these sort options by clicking in the corresponding checkbox:
   Case sensitive	Sort is sensitive to upper and lower case. For example: Melbourne gallery will be sorted separately to Melbourne Gallery
   Tables order insensitive	Values in a multi-value field will be sorted alphabetically regardless of the order in which they display. For example, one record has the following values in the Roles field in this order: Collection Manager, Curator, Internet Administrator Another record has the same values in the Roles field but in a different order: Internet Administrator, Collection Manager, Curator If Tables order insensitive is selected (checked / ticked), the values in this field will be sorted in alphabetical order before the main sort, resulting in both records being displayed in the same sort order.
   Empty sorts low	If this option is selected, all empty records will be placed at the start of the sort rather than at the end.
   e not equal to ê	Values that include diacritics will be sorted separately to those that do not. For example, entrée will be sorted separately to entree.
   Summary
   Tables as text	All values that display in a multi-value field will be considered one value in the Summary Results window. For example, three values - Collection Manager, Curator, Internet Administrator - display in the Roles field. If this sort option is selected, the three values will be considered as one and display as one value in the following format: Collection Manager Curator Internet Administrator Thus the number of values in the Summary Results window will match the number of records. If this sort option is not selected, each value in a multi-value field will display as a separate value in the sorted display. One value will be Collection Manager, a second value Curator and a third Internet Administrator. Thus there may be many more values in the Summary Results window than there are records.
   Display sort text	Displays the text in the Summary Results display in the format in which it will be sorted, e.g. punctuation included, white space disregarded, case sensitive, etc.

   [Close]

9. If required, select the Security tab to give other users permission to use this sort.
10. Select OK.

    Your new sort is added to the Sort box from where it can be selected at any time:

    

11. Select OK.

    The records are sorted using your new Sort.

It is possible to edit an existing sort by adding or removing fields or changing the order of existing fields.

Note: You can only edit your own saved sort. If you try to edit another user's sort, the window and buttons will display as greyed out and are disabled.

1. Search for or retrieve a group of records.
2. Select Sort on the Home or Tools tab of the Ribbon to display the Sort box:
3. In the Sort box, select a Sort to be modified and click Properties .

   The Sort Properties box displays.

4. Edit the sort properties as shown above.
5. Select OK.

When no existing Sort meets your needs but you don't need to save the criteria for re-use, use an Ad hoc Sort:

1. Search for or retrieve a group of records.
2. Select Ad hoc Sort on the Tools tab of the Ribbon to display the Sort Properties box:

   

3. If there are fields already added to the Order list that you don't need in your Ad hoc Sort, select them and then click Remove.
4. In the Fields list, select a field on which to sort and click Add.

   The field is added to the Order list.

   It is possible to sort records using almost any field with the exception of nested table fields.

5. Continue to select all the fields on which to sort from the Fields list.

   Note: To remove a field from the Order list, select it and click Remove.

6. A group of records is sorted on the first field listed in the Order list, then by the second field, and so on. To adjust the order of fields:
   1. Select a field in the Order list, e.g. Last: (Person Details).
   2. Use the Up and Down arrows to the right of the Order list to move a field name to the position on which to sort:

      

   3. Note: Records are sorted in alphabetical order by default. To reverse the order, click .

7. If necessary, select the Options tab to change the options.
8. Select OK.

   The records are sorted.