Multiple Field Sorting

[DanThe]

In CDpedia 5.4.2 I am trying to figure out how to sort my albums using multiple fields. The sort that I'm trying to do is first by Artist, then by Original Release and finally by Release all in ascending order. Can this be done?

[Nora]

That's certainly doable. Check out this section of the Help file for more info.

[DanThe]

Thanks Nora.

I never realized it was that easy. Hasn't been a month yet using the Pedia apps but I'm learning. I was using Music Collector so I got to break out of thinking Windows.

[DanThe]

OK. I have to retract the word easy from my previous post. It's not. It's a great concept but requires too much trial and error to get it right. The reasons...

1. If you accidentally click on a column you lose your setting.

2. Now that the setting is lost you have to remember how you did it in the first place. So either search the forum or help to retrieve that information detracting from the DB editing.

It would be nice if custom sort filters could be created, saved and retrieved without having to go through the frustration of wondering if the column was properly clicked and in the ascending sequence.

OK. Now I go back to my editing.

[Conor]

True that a very deep sort would be lost and it does take some clicks to recreate. I'll take the feedback into account when redesigning that feature.

[DanThe]

Thanks Connor for taking this into the feature enhancement list. Maybe as a source for ideas about sorting columns, look at spreadsheet apps such as Numbers or Excel which have had this feature for a long time now..

Even though the OS X GUI has change what brought me to Apple was the everything out of the box approach (lots of apps) and making those apps intuitive (not alway the case sometimes).

I go by a very simple motto. If I have to ask or search on how to use something, then it isn't intuitive.

Thanks again for the update.

[Conor]

There some spreadsheet programs that use a little number right next to the (ascending/descending) arrow to show what the deep sort order is. It was originally a plan to add something like that, but the Apple table view makes it complicated to implement.

[DanThe]

Hi Connor,

It would seem that Apple wants us to believe that everything is easy but the more we talk the more I'm finding that it ain't so. Excel has the nicest column sorting (under the Data Ribbon tab) which got me thinking about how to implement a multi-field sort that can be saved.

That's when I thought about the editing screen for how the Smart Collections work. The entry line at the top would be the first field to sort by. The entry line would consist of a field drop-down (the same as the Smart Collection). The next field would also be a drop-down to pick between ascending or descending. Finally at the right would be the plus/minus buttons to add the next field to sort by or to remove one.

I do not no if this is doable but it an idea.

[FineWine]

Love the concept, so simple. You could add a View menu entry as well as a Toolbar Button. Title these Column Sort.

[Waldbaer]

Hm, I understand your concept and it's not very much in the way; but how many levels do you sort? And how many different ways do you use that you cannot keep them in mind? Normally, I use two levels at maximum and these combinations are always the same ones. I might have to think 3 seconds about it (only because I use them not very often) and then do the two clicks. For your solution, it would be at least 4 clicks, given the sorting is already saved and the saved presets show up directly in a list: Open sorting window via button, open presets list, select, confirm sorting/close window.

Furthermore, in the very most cases I can imagine, specific questions to the database will be answered much faster and easier if you combine (simple!) sorting with a search. Special sorting might look nice, but actually it's not very important; in fact, you have the pedia databases to not have to be able to remember which media where in which shelve contains what. So don't use them like shelves by using complex sortings and scrolling but just use the search field and maybe custom searches (smart lists)! From this standpoint I understand if it's quite low on the priority list... but I'm nevertheless interested to know your workflows which make you think that you really need this complex sorting so often!

[DanThe]

As I stated before, an accidental click on a column or if if you need to create a different sort for whatever reason requires remembering the sequence used to create the previous sort whereas a saved sort filter is much easier to retrieve. As for how I mainly sort my albums is by:

1. Artist sort name
2. Original release date
3. Release date.

That way albums appear by artist. The original release date keeps the same album names together which are then sorted by the date that each edition of that album was released.

My main use for a music DB is not only to catalog what's in my collection but also other information whether it be regarding the musicians or production staff. I also use it to keep track of which CDs that I have entered into iTune and the ones that have been excluded. So in my case, this feature would provide me a way to save different sort filters that can be selected quickly.

I do like the search field which really quick at keyword filtering but a person might still need the result of that search to be sorted a certain way.

If I just needed to catalog what I have in my collection then a simple spreadsheet would suffice. Hopefully this provides more information on the kind of workflow processes that I use CDpedia for.