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Status Future consideration
Categories Reports
Created by Matt Case
Created on Feb 12, 2016

Reporting Sort Options for Custom Fields

Categorical values, such as in a custom field with a pre-defined choice list, are by default sorted alphabetically in reports. However, in many instances there's a preferred or implicit ordering of categorical values. For example, the sequence "cold, cool, hot, ice cold, red-hot, warm" is less natural than "ice cold, cold, cool, warm, hot, red-hot". 

Currently, the only solution for enforcing a desired/logical sequence in a report is to add a number in from of each value (i.e. 1-ice cold, 2-cold, 3-cool, etc.) which is cumbersome and restrictive.

Preferred behavior: have the option to have reports recognize the sort sequence in which the pre-defined values in a custom field have been sorted. 

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  • Guest
    Reply
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    Oct 14, 2016

    Is there any update on this? We're using categorical fields extensively and in most cases there's a logical (non-alphabetical) sequence in which we want to use these values in pivot tables.

  • Guest
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    Mar 16, 2016

    Any date on when this might be implemented?  This is a current pressing issue for me.

  • Guest
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    Feb 12, 2016

    An alternative would be to define the sort sequence in an interface somewhat similar to the color code interface. This would give users the ability to change the sort sequence in the final report instead of being restricted by the sequence in which categorical values were defined originally.

2 MERGED

Additional custom field sort options beyond alphabetical.

Merged
Custom fields only allow for alphabetical sorting. For the ideas portal this is not ideal, it would be easier for the end user to navigate through a list if we could order the list ourselves.
John Hopkin about 9 years ago in Ideas portal 0 Future consideration