Auto-sorting the Library
 

Is there a way to tell OF to auto-sort the Library alphabetically?

Are you looking for a sorted list of actions for view-only (meaning the actions will not be permanently sorted in the projects)? If so, go to Context view, select Grouping: Ungrouped and Sorting: By Name.

[QUOTE=Greg Jones;54633]Are you looking for a sorted list of actions for view-only (meaning the actions will not be permanently sorted in the projects)? If so, go to Context view, select Grouping: Ungrouped and Sorting: By Name.[/QUOTE]

I should be clearer. I'm talking about in planning mode, sorting my list of projects (not the actions in the projects) automagically by name. So my list of projects under "Library" would always be sorted by name.

Following your suggestion, though, I see the "Sorting" choice under the "View" menu (which I didn't know about). But this seems to only affect the order in the main pane, not in the left-hand pane. Is there a way to have the display of projects under "Library" automatically sorted by name?

You can do a 'Select All' in the Library pane and then 'Edit>Sort>By Name'. I don't believe it is automatically maintained though. You'll need to insert new projects where they would appear alphabetically in the projects list or execute the sort again.

Chris, I think we have a feature request open on this in our development database - if you send email to [EMAIL="omnifocus@omnigroup.com"]omnifocus@omnigroup.com[/EMAIL], we can add your feedback to that item, so the team knows you'd like to see this added.

[QUOTE=Greg Jones;54636]You can do a 'Select All' in the Library pane and then 'Edit>Sort>By Name'. I don't believe it is automatically maintained though. You'll need to insert new projects where they would appear alphabetically in the projects list or execute the sort again.[/QUOTE]

Even if I do that, it still only resorts the items in the main pane, not in the sidebar. I guess I should probably file a bug/feature request on this.

Edit: x-posted with Brian.

If you focus on the sidebar, select all, and then sort using the menu command 'Edit>Sort>By Name' the sidebar will be sorted.

[QUOTE=Greg Jones;54642]If you focus on the sidebar, select all, and then sort using the menu command 'Edit>Sort>By Name' the sidebar will be sorted.[/QUOTE]

Oh! Edit>Sort>By Name, not View>Sorting>Name. Bad interface, no cookie for you! Also, bad reading, Chris! I didn't realize you were talking about the Edit menu, not the View menu. Thanks.

[QUOTE=Chris;54645]Oh! Edit>Sort>By Name, not View>Sorting>Name. Bad interface, no cookie for you! Also, bad reading, Chris! I didn't realize you were talking about the Edit menu, not the View menu. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Uh, not a bad interface, IMO -- there are two different operations here. One changes the view but not the underlying database, and the other makes permanent changes to the data (which will in turn change the view).

You can sort just a portion of the sidebar, if you like. That way, if you want to keep some high priority projects at the top of the list, or maybe some role folders, you can. The Edit sort only sorts the current selection.

It's not obvious (to me anyway) that changes in the ordering of the sidebar are changes in the data rather than changes to the view of the data. (Or for that matter, that sorting in the main pane doesn't affect the underlying data; I don't see the basis on which you're making this distinction.) It's also not obvious that the sorting in the Edit menu will be applied to the sidebar and not the main pane. It's also not obvious that when items in the sidebar are selected that using the View>Sorting>Name choice will affect the items in the main pane.

At the least I would expect the Edit>Sort>By Name to be called something like Edit>Sort in Sidebar>By Name. Right now the interface gives no clue that one option affects the view in the main pane and the other affects the view in the sidebar.