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Sorting in True Alphabetical Order - Some Nam
DocumentID: 626330
Revision Date: 29-Feb-96 1:41:35 PM

The information in this document applies to:
WordPerfect® 5.1 for DOS

Problem

Symptoms: A user has a list of names that they want sorted in true alphabetical order (having names without middle initials at the top).
For example:
-in order-                  -out of order-
Jane Anderson                  Jane H Doe
John Alex Anderson            John Doe
John Doe                        John Alex Anderson
Jane H Doe                  Jane Anderson Solutions: The customer can sort using the following keys.

Key      Type      Field      Word
1      a      1            -1      (last name)
2      a      1            -3      (first name: from end)
3      a      1             1      (first name: from beginning)
4      a      1             2      (middle name)

This looks at the last name, then at the third word from the end. If it is a three word name, the sort will find the first word; if it only has two words, the sort will find a blank and put it above the others. Then it sorts by the first word, and then the second.

Another customer wanted to sort the names Mary A. Savage, Mary Savage, and Mary Ann Savage. When doing a sort by line, it will put Mary Savage at the bottom of the three names rather than the top where it should be when set up as:
      Key 1, Type a, Field 1, Word -1
      Key 2, Type a, Field 1, Word 1
The user changed the sort key as follows to make this type of sorting work correctly:
      Key 1, Type a, Field 1, Word -1
      Key 2, Type a, Field 1, Word -3
      Key 3, Type a, Field 1, Word -2

Answer:

Details:


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