Submissions Directory listing sorting options

One of the key features in managing submissions is the ability to sort data, which helps in organizing and analyzing the information effectively. When listing submissions in the frontend, the Submissions Directory listing provides three sorting options for the form data: String, Number, and Date. In this article we will provide a detailed explanation of each sorting type and how it affects the displayed data.

 

1. String Sorting

String sorting arranges data based on alphanumeric characters. This type of sorting treats the data as text, regardless of whether it contains numbers, letters, or a combination of both.

How It Works
  • Alphabetical Order: Data is sorted alphabetically (A-Z). For example, "apple" will come before "banana".
  • Character-by-Character: Sorting is done character-by-character from left to right. For instance, "item10" might appear before "item2" because it compares each character’s ASCII value.
  • Use Case: String sorting is useful for textual data such as names, addresses, or any field where the data is primarily composed of letters.
Example:
  • Original Data: ["apple", "grape", "banana", "coconut"]
  • Sorted Data (ascending): ["apple", "banana", "coconut", "grape"]
  • Sorted Data (descending): ["grape", "coconut", "banana", "apple"]
 

2. Number Sorting

Number sorting arranges data based on numerical values. This type of sorting treats the data as numbers, ensuring that the numeric order is preserved.

How It Works
  • Ascending/Descending Order: Numbers are sorted from smallest to largest (ascending) or largest to smallest (descending).
  • Numeric Comparison: Each value is compared as a whole number rather than character-by-character.
  • Use Case: Number sorting is ideal for fields containing numeric data such as quantities, prices, scores, or any data that needs to be treated numerically.
Example:
  • Original Data: [10, 1, 5, 20]
  • Sorted Data (ascending): [1, 5, 10, 20]
  • Sorted Data (descending): [20, 10, 5, 1]
 

3. Date Sorting

Date sorting arranges data based on chronological order. This type of sorting treats the data as actual dates, not individual strings or numbers and sorts them accordingly.

How It Works
  • Chronological Order: Dates are sorted from the earliest to the latest (ascending) or from the latest to the earliest (descending).
  • Date Formats: The sorting process typically recognizes various date formats and sorts based on the actual date value, but we recommend the ISO 8601 format (`YYYY-MM-DD` or `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS` if you include the time as well).
  • Use Case: Date sorting is essential for fields containing date and time data, such as submission dates, birthdates, or event dates.
Example:
  • Original Data: ["2022-12-01", "2021-05-15", "2023-01-10", "2022-07-20"]
  • Sorted Data (ascending): ["2021-05-15", "2022-07-20", "2022-12-01", "2023-01-10"]
  • Sorted Data (descending): ["2023-01-10", "2022-12-01", "2022-07-20", "2021-05-15"]

Understanding these sorting options allows you to effectively organize and interpret the submissions in RSForm!Pro, making data management more efficient and insightful.

 

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