Help With Sorting Please

Ask for Help
1

Hi. One of my apps keeps a list of tasks. They have a due date and a priority. I want to sort them with those due sooner at the top. However if several tasks have the same due date then those with a higher priority should appear first i.e. a multi-level sort. Ideally I want to do this without using a formula in the Google Sheet since my entire app handles everything in Glide, however building the appropriate “sort key” in a Glide column is causing me an issue. All ideas welcome :grinning: :grinning: :grinning:

2

What happens when you make a math column multiplying the date with the priority? I’m just asking how Glide interprets the date in a math and probably I can help a solution.

1 Like
3

Hi @ThinhDinh I will look at the maths. Good idea. But I think it’ll be addition not multiplication. Bear with.

4

Alas - date values are seen as 0.00 in a maths column :frowning:

5

Can you try duplicating the column in Sheets using a formula, then format it as a number column?

Addition is the right way here, you’re right. Multiplying two columns together and sort by it should give the right outcome.

6

Then it gives some “crazy” numbers that look like they’re based on the “char values” of the textual representation of the date. Looks as though I may have to revert to the Google Sheet and an array column. I hate that.

7

You just need an arrayformula to duplicate the date in the Sheets, then the rest can happen in Glide I imagine.

8

Yup. That’s exactly it. In the Google Sheet I create a “Sort Key” string which is YYYY + MM + DD + “0” or “1” based on priority. Then sort on that inside Glide. It works but a shame :expressionless:

9

Can you try formatting the date in the Sheets in the original column as yyyy/mm/dd then combine it with the priority in a template column inside Glide? I think it would be the same, albeit you need to forfeit whatever format you used to display the date before.

10
  • Create a copy of the date column in GS.
  • Change the data type of the new date column to a numeric value.
  • Assign a number to the priority: High - 3, Medium - 2, Low - 1.
  • Concatenate Priority and Numeric Date value with a hyphen in between using the Template column.
  • Use this new field to sort.

In theory, this works. In practice, let us know if it works. :slight_smile:

1 Like