# In-app sort - arrow is indicating the wrong direction

**URL:** <https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814>\
**Category:** Report a Bug\
**Created:** [August 26, 2022, 11:31am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814 "2022-08-26T11:31:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Thoughts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thoughts/32/46790_2.png) [@Thoughts](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Thoughts)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 11:31am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/1 "2022-08-26T11:31:20Z")

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I added in-app sorting to a list item, with two sorting options:  
Name and Amount

As a user, when I try to use the filter, I chose the field I want to sort by and I see an arrow pointing up or an arrow pointing down.

If for example, I choose to sort by Amount and the arrow is pointing Up I expect that the list will be sorted from bottom (lowest number) to top (highest number) but in fact the opposite happens.

Same goes for text: If I see the arrow going up I expect that the sorting will be done from A to Z but the opposite sorting happens.

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**Author:** ![iamtomgray](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/iamtomgray/32/47662_2.png) [@iamtomgray](https://community.glideapps.com/u/iamtomgray)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/2 "2022-08-26T12:10:00Z")

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Hey @Thoughts! Can you share screenshots or, even better, a [loom](https://loom.com) video?

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**Author:** ![Thoughts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thoughts/32/46790_2.png) [@Thoughts](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Thoughts)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 12:21pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/3 "2022-08-26T12:21:51Z")

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Sure,  
Here is an example of the filter setting and the results:

Filter Settings (Sort by Count from low to high)

 ![Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 14.20.00](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/a/f/afa7948c172559a79fb7f57c9ced49a3b133060d.png)

Filter Result (Sorted from High to low)

 ![Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 14.20.15](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/a/3/a3dc9277e2eae272bfc319fad7f4873291bb62d5.png)

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**Author:** ![Mark](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mark/32/125_2.png) [@Mark](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Mark)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/4 "2022-08-26T12:28:21Z")

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This is working as intended, but arguably arrows are not the best way to visualize sort direction.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 12:33pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/5 "2022-08-26T12:33:16Z")

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This always used to confuse me. The way I visualise it now is that I think of the arrow pointing to the “highest” 🤷🏼‍♂️

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**Author:** ![Thoughts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thoughts/32/46790_2.png) [@Thoughts](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Thoughts)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 12:53pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/6 "2022-08-26T12:53:58Z")

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What do you mean?  
an arrow has a direction, and the direction is the direction of the sorting.

If the arrow goes down, it means from top to bottom.  
if the arrow goes down it should be from Z to A or from 100 to 0

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**Author:** ![Thoughts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thoughts/32/46790_2.png) [@Thoughts](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Thoughts)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/7 "2022-08-26T12:55:53Z")

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It’s intended to be opposite to what you want?  
Usually Down means descending and Up means ascending.

Since you say there is no bug, what am I missing?  
B.t.w arrows are used to show sorting direction in other products, but the direction usually fits the sorting direction.

Example:

> **[Sort Down (Descending) - solid | Font Awesome](https://fontawesome.com/v5/icons/sort-down?s=solid)**
>
> Sort Down (Descending) in the solid style. Make a bold statement, even in small sizes. Available now in Font Awesome 5.

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/8 "2022-08-26T15:56:35Z")

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The more I think about this, the more I contradict myself. I think the problem is that arrows and triangles can be interpreted differently.

To me the arrow makes sense because it represents the direction that the list is sorted. Imagine the arrow pointing up and overlaid on top of the list. That’s the direction that the data should be sorted (from bottom to top / lowest to biggest).

However, a triangle could be interpreted the opposite. When I see a triangle, I see a pyramid where the small values are at the point and the large values are at the base of the pyramid. So if a triangle was overlaid on top of the list, I would expect the small values at the top and the large values at the bottom. Completely opposite from how I would interpret the arrow.

I guess it depends on your own interpretations. It’s probably pretty easy to convince yourself that either way is correct in your own mind. For me, even though arrows and triangles both have points and could point in the same direction, I probably interpret them differently regarding list sorting. I don’t view triangles like I do arrows. I think of them like pyramids, or a hierarchy, or a visual representation of the data. Whereas I view arrows as a direction of travel.

> **[Sorting arrow confusion in data tables | HackerNoon](https://hackernoon.com/sorting-arrow-confusion-in-data-tables-5a3117698fdf)**
>
> Understanding and choosing column sorting symbol representing ASC/DESC

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Thoughts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thoughts/32/46790_2.png) [@Thoughts](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Thoughts)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 10:51am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/in-app-sort-arrow-is-indicating-the-wrong-direction/47814/9 "2022-08-29T10:51:42Z")

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Glide is using arrows to represent the sorting direction → Ascending and Descending order.  
According to the dictionary - To descend is to move downwards, and this is where the Down should be used.  
To ascend is to move upwards , and this is where we would use an up arrow.

I’m not sure how a down arrow could be understood as going up…

In any case- if there is no agreement on this, then glide shouldn’t use something that half of the users will understand wrong.
