When you first add a database field to your report, the field's data values appear in the order in which they where originally entered into the database. By sorting records, you can organize data in a particular order to help you find and evaluate the information.
To sort your data
The selected field is added to the Sort Fields list.
Tip The order of the fields listed in the Sort fields list is the order by which data will be sorted.
When you sort, the program asks you to define two things:
Sort Field
The sort field is the field that determines the order in which data appears on your report. Almost any field can be used as a sort field, including formula fields. A field's data type determines the method by which the data from that field is sorted.
Note You cannot sort on memo or BLOB fields.
Field Type | Sort Order |
---|---|
Single-character string fields | Blanks
Punctuation Numbers Uppercase letters Lowercase letters |
Multiple character string field | Two letters
Three letters Four letters, etc For example:
|
Currency fields | Numeric order |
Number fields | Numeric order |
Date fields | Chronological order |
DateTime fields | Chronological order
Same-date values sorted by time |
Time fields | Chronological order |
Boolean comparison fields | False values(0)
True values (1) |
Null values | Null values
Non-null values |
Sort Direction
The sort direction is the order in which the values are displayed, once they have been sorted.
Ascending
Ascending order means smallest to largest (1 to 9, A to Z, False to True). The program sorts the records in ascending order based on the values in the sort field you select.
Descending
Descending order means largest to smallest (9 to 1, Z to A, True to False). The program sorts the records in descending order based on the values in the sort field you select.