# List sort toggle (ascending/descending) in a single list

**URL:** <https://community.glideapps.com/t/list-sort-toggle-ascending-descending-in-a-single-list/83788>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [August 12, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/list-sort-toggle-ascending-descending-in-a-single-list/83788 "2025-08-12T15:40:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mark\_Smith1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mark_smith1/32/91017_2.png) [@Mark\_Smith1](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Mark_Smith1)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/list-sort-toggle-ascending-descending-in-a-single-list/83788/1 "2025-08-12T15:40:46Z")

</div>

The following outlines the steps I went through to dynamically sort a list ascending and descending. This seemed ridiculously complicated for such a simple task (I do apologise for the length). Other solutions warmly welcomed.

# Glide Sort Toggle – Full Step-by-Step Setup

This document details the full process to turn a static Ascending list into a dynamic toggle that allows switching between Ascending and Descending order in Glide. It includes all steps, workarounds, and reasons for certain choices – the ‘epic saga’ version.

## Starting point

A list of orders in Glide sorted Ascending by Time Stamp.

## Create a Boolean column to store sort preference

• Table: Users (so each user can have their own sort setting)  
• Column name: Sort Desc  
• Type: Boolean (checkbox)  
• Holds TRUE if user wants descending sort, FALSE if ascending.

## Duplicate your Orders list

• One tab/component for Ascending:

- Sort by Time Stamp Ascending
- Visibility: Sort Desc is NOT checked  
• One tab/component for Descending:
- Sort by Time Stamp Descending
- Visibility: Sort Desc is checked

## Create a computed column to ‘flip’ the Boolean

• Table: Users  
• Column name: Not Sort Desc  
• Type: If–Then–Else

- If Sort Desc is 1 → Output 0
- Else → Output 1  
• Lets us write the opposite value to Sort Desc when user clicks a toggle.

## Add the toggle button

• On Orders screen, add a Button component  
• Label: ‘Sort’ (with an up/down arrow icon)  
• Action: Set Column Values

- Row: User Profile (signed-in user row, not a relation)
- Set: Sort Desc = Not Sort Desc  
• Clicking the button flips the sort direction.

## Test

• Click button → Sort Desc flips  
• Glide instantly switches visible list between Ascending and Descending.

## (Optional) Dynamic labelling

• In Users table, create an If-Then-Else column:

• Call it Sort Label  
IF Sort Desc is checked THEN ‘Newest first’ ELSE ‘Oldest first’  
• Use Sort Label as the button label so it changes with sort direction.

**Compact (but honest) summary:**  
Add a user-specific Boolean (`Sort Desc`), duplicate the list for ASC/DESC, build a relation to the current user, then wire a button to flip it — while battling Glide’s UI quirks, disappearing buttons, and the occasional existential crisis. 😂

## Why it was tricky

• The Set Column Values action won’t let you update another table unless you target a specific row (User Profile) instead of a relation.  
• Visibility conditions on the lists must exactly match the Boolean’s true/false state.  
• Glide doesn’t have a built-in ‘sort toggle’ action – this was a manual workaround.

Thanks for your feedback

Mark