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-   -   View->Sort woes (http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=16136)

JakiChan 2010-05-06 11:51 PM

View->Sort woes
 
In planning mode if I select something like my Misc single action list and do view->sort->Due date nothing happens. It works if I select all and do an Edit->Sort->Due date. What am I missing?

whpalmer4 2010-05-07 06:44 AM

In planning mode, the view bar sort sorts projects, not actions. In context mode, it sorts actions. In either case, it only sorts the view, not the order of the data (important for sequential projects but somewhat less so for a single action list). As you discovered, to actually change the ordering of actions in the planning mode, you need to use Edit->Sort. One way to think of the difference is to consider the case of two side-by-side windows in planning mode. Changing the view settings for one does not affect the other window, but editing one with Edit->Sort or by hand will change both windows.

Brenno 2010-05-14 07:02 AM

It would be helpful to have an option to sort in Planning Mode by 'flagged'. Currently, the Edit>Sort menu does not offer this option.

Could that be included in a future release?

Thanks

whpalmer4 2010-05-14 07:21 AM

There's a pretty easy way to accomplish this with the existing toolset. In Project mode, select Grouping by Ungrouped and Sort by Flagged. The flagged projects will now be at the top of the outline. Select them, then drag the whole group to the spot in the sidebar where you want the flagged projects.

Brenno 2010-05-14 08:35 AM

I can set the Grouping to Ungrouped and Sort by Flagged but it doesn't change anything.

The Flag Filter is set to Any Flag State because I want to view all my tasks but have the flagged ones at the top.

Not sure what you mean by dragging the whole group to a spot in the sidebar. I do not want to move anything, just get an overview of my projects and tasks in the library *and* have the flagged ones at the top.

Toadling 2010-05-14 10:29 AM

As Bill mentioned earlier, planning mode (aka project mode) sorts projects, not actions. So all [B]projects[/B] that are flagged will appear at the top when the sorting filter is set to flagged. Actions, however, remain in their relative positions inside of projects.

If you don't have any flagged projects, and you're in planning/project mode, you won't see anything happen with the sorting filter is set to flagged.

To see all your flagged actions sorted at the top, regardless of project, you'll need to switch to context mode.

-Dennis

PS - Oops, I just read back in the thread a bit and see that you specifically mentioned the "Edit->Sort" menu, Brenno. So I take it that you're trying to permanently sort your flagged actions to the top of a project? If that's the case, then please disregard my comments above -- [URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?p=77198#post77198"]Bill's post[/URL] has you covered.

whpalmer4 2010-05-14 10:51 AM

[QUOTE=Brenno;77213]I can set the Grouping to Ungrouped and Sort by Flagged but it doesn't change anything.
[/quote]
When I do it, all flagged [b]projects[/b] go to the top of the listing. It doesn't change the order of [b]actions[/b], however.
[quote]
The Flag Filter is set to Any Flag State because I want to view all my tasks but have the flagged ones at the top.
[/quote]

Two important principles here:[LIST][*]In Project mode, the sorting and grouping functions in the view bar act on projects; in Context mode, they act on actions[*]The view bar and View menu change the view, but do not change the data ; the Edit menu can change the view only by changing the data[/LIST]
[quote]
Not sure what you mean by dragging the whole group to a spot in the sidebar. I do not want to move anything, just get an overview of my projects and tasks in the library *and* have the flagged ones at the top.[/QUOTE]
That last sentence is ambiguous, and the answers are very different depending on what you mean by "flagged ones at the top."

You mentioned using the Edit->Sort facility, which does move your data around. If you have two windows open, showing the same data, using the Edit->Sort facility in one window will change the contents of both windows, because it changes the underlying data. Using the View bar or View menu will only change the contents of the window in which it is used.

The Edit->Sort facility can be used to reorder projects by selecting them in the sidebar and invoking Edit->Sort, but it does not have a Sort by Flagged option, as you mentioned. It can also be used to reorder actions in a project, but again, you can't use it to sort on the flagged state. It would only make sense to sort on the flagged state in a project where there was no significance to the ordering. A project called "Paint the office" where the tasks were "Buy paint", "Put down drop cloth", "Paint walls" (flagged) would not make sense if you sorted the "Paint walls" task to the top of the list.

If you are trying to look at a list of all of your actions, with all of the flagged actions before all of the unflagged actions, you need to be in Context mode, not Project mode. Group by Ungrouped, Sort by Flagged.

If you are instead trying to look at all of your projects, with the flagged projects before all of the unflagged projects, Project mode is what you want. Group by Ungrouped, Sort by Flagged.

If you want to see all of your projects and want any flagged actions in those projects shown first, you can go to Context mode, Group by Project, Sort by Flagged and you will get the closest approximation without actually changing your data.

If you want the full hierarchy of nested actions displayed, then you need to be in Project mode, and you'll have to rearrange the actions so that the flagged ones are first in their projects.

whpalmer4 2010-05-14 10:53 AM

Well, between us, Dennis and I should have at least gotten this horse whimpering on the ground, if not fully beaten to death :-)

Brenno 2010-05-14 11:55 AM

Got it. Now understand that the view bar acts on projects in project mode and actions in context mode. That makes sense. Thanks.


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