How to Create a User Specified Sort Order Script

[dmontano]

I have a script that a User selects to "Sort" records. It is set up to sort by one particular field. However, I am sure Users will want to sort using other fields as well.

 

If I enable the FM dialog where the user can see all of the fields and specify the sort fields and their order, I find it problematic for a few reasons:

1. I do not want them to see every field in the table,

2. The "field" names in the table are not "User friendy"

3. The field list can be very long

4. The FM dialog does not allow user to widen the dialog to see the complete field names, etc.

 

How can I create a script that allows the User to sort by the fields that I want to define as sortable?

 

I do have a list layout that allows the user to sort by each field header, but that is on a different layout. I am working on making my interface as User friendly and powerful as I can make it.

 

In short, I want to give the User the exact same control as the FM dialog provides, but I want to control what they see and which fields they see.

 

Any ideas? Thanks.

[AHunter3]

See post #5 of this thread, would that technique work for you?

[dmontano]

Hi Alan and thanks for the quick reply.

 

I reviewed the thread you posted, and I do not think that will work in this particular case. However, the instructions you provided in that will prove helpful in how I script my sorts in my List layouts.

 

I have attached a section of the layout I am working with (context) so you can get an idea of the data layout. You will notice that it is not List orientated. I do have a separate "List" layout so that is taken care of.

 

Human behavior dictates that Users will try to accomplish the same thing in a multitude of different ways. Therefore, I am trying to accomodate the User that does not want to venture into the List layout first, sort records, and then go back to the data layout I have attached.

 

Some Users like to sort by company name and work their way up, other Users may sort by state and work their way up, etc.

 

I am not picking sides as to what is best - simply trying to provide sorting capability in a view they may prefer or are more comfortable with.

 

My initial thought would be to have a Custom dialog box that provided radio type selections of say 5 different fields (I would have to choose which 5 are the most requested to be sorted by). The User would select which fields to sort, and which order to sort in.

 

I could live with the fact that this does not provide ultimate sort capability, but I feel this would handle the majority of sorts - and any sort requests beyond this would have to be done somewhere else or another fashion altogether.

 

From what I described above - it certainly seems like a very tall order. I know that FM has the dialog already set up, but it has the problems I mentioned in the first post.

 

If I could "hide" fields, create "Sort" dialog friendly field alias names, etc, that might be workable, but I do not see that functionality.