TABLE OF CONTENTS


By default, all worksheet records are displayed according to the order in which they were added to the worksheet, descending from first to most recent. 

Note: This is the case for records displayed in table view, and in list view. Records displayed in either card, timeline or calendar view cannot be sorted.  

If you want to change the order of records in the worksheet there are three options available: setting a custom default order on the properties of the worksheet; sorting the records based on a specific field or column or using the ‘Rank’ field type to manually sort records using ‘drag and drop’. 

Setting a custom default sort order  

If you want to override the default sort order of a worksheet, it is possible to set a custom sort order that will be the default sort order for that specific worksheet. All users viewing the worksheet will see records sorted according to this order. 

Only users with an administrative role that gives them access to edit the properties of a worksheet can change the default sort order. This is done in the ‘properties’ tab of the worksheet configuration dialog, accessed from the ‘Edit’ button in the worksheet menu.  

The ‘Primary sort’ option in the properties tab provides a list of all the fields that have been configured for the worksheet. Any field can be set as the primary sort. If the primary sort field is of a type that may have duplicate data in it (for instance a choice field with the options ‘Approved’ and ‘Rejected’), records with duplicate data will be sorted according to the order in which they were added to the worksheet, descending from first to most recent. 

Using the ‘Sort’ menu 

The ‘Sort’ menu option allows individual users to choose one or more specific fields to use for sorting records. Changing the sort order using this option does not change the view for other users.  

This option lists every field that has been configured for the worksheet. Depending on the field type, the sort options available are either A-Z (for data in text format), highest to lowest (for numeric data) or earliest to latest (for date fields). These options are also available in reverse order. 

The ‘Sort’ menu option allows users to choose up to three fields to use for sorting. The first field functions as the primary sort. If there are multiple records with duplicate data in the primary sort field, a secondary sort field can be set to sort these records. Similarly, a third option can be set for sorting records with duplicate data in the secondary field.  

If there are still records with duplicate data in the third field these will be sorted according to the default order of when they were added to the worksheet. 

Sorting directly on the field column 

If you just want to sort on one field, clicking on the column header of the field you want to use functions as a shortcut to the ‘Sort’ menu option. This will set up the primary sort in the ‘Sort’ option dialog box, with the default order. Clicking on the same column again will reverse the sort order. 

You can only create one primary sort order by clicking on the relevant field column. To create a secondary or tertiary sort you need to use the ‘Sort’ menu option. 

Sorting worksheet records using the ‘Rank’ field type 

The Rank field type serves a unique function within Worksheets. It allows worksheet records to be moved around manually using drag and drop. 

This can be particularly useful for worksheets where the order of the records should adhere to contextual logic rather than a chronological or alphabetical order, for instance in the case of a list of interview questions in an investigation project. 

A field of type Rank can be added to any worksheet via the ‘fields’ menu tab in the worksheet edit dialog.  

For more information about how to configure and edit worksheet fields, please refer to the section on ‘Configuring a Worksheet’. 

Once a Rank field has been added to the worksheet, records can be arranged manually. For this to be possible, the worksheet sort order must be by Rank. This can be set either by choosing the Rank field as the primary sort order using the ‘Sort’ menu, or by clicking directly on the Rank field column. 

When worksheet records are sorted by Rank, the appearance of the numbering column to the furthest left of the worksheet changes to a shaded pattern. This indicates the records can be dragged and dropped.  

When records are moved around in the order, the individual rank value will be updated automatically.  

Rank field values are simply numeric indicators of where a record sits in the worksheet order. Although it is possible to input a rank value when adding or editing a record, this is not recommended as best practice. The purpose of the field is to allow for manual ordering using drag and drop. For that reason, best practice recommends hiding the field itself from the worksheet view, and not including the field in any input forms. This allows the numeric rank value to be generated by the movement of records.