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Sort

Package | mx.collections
Class | public class Sort
Inheritance | Sort flash.events.EventDispatcher
Implements | ISort
Subclasses | Sort

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

| Starting with Flex 4.5, Apache recommends that you use the spark.collections.Sort class as an alternative to this class.

Provides the sorting information required to establish a sort on an existing view (`ICollectionView` interface or class that implements the interface). After you assign a `Sort` instance to the view's `sort` property, you must call the view's `refresh()` method to apply the sort criteria.

Typically the sort is defined for collections of complex items, that is collections in which the sort is performed on one or more properties of the objects in the collection. The following example shows this use:

         var col:ICollectionView = new ArrayCollection();
         // In the real world, the collection would have more than one item.
         col.addItem({first:"Anders", last:"Dickerson"});
          // Create the Sort instance.
         var sort:ISort = new Sort();
          // Set the sort field; sort on the last name first, first name second.
         // Both fields are case-insensitive.
         sort.fields = [new SortField("last",true), new SortField("first",true)];
           // Assign the Sort object to the view.
         col.sort = sort;
          // Apply the sort to the collection.
         col.refresh();

There are situations in which the collection contains simple items, like `String`, `Date`, `Boolean`, etc. In this case, apply the sort to the simple type directly. When constructing a sort for simple items, use a single sort field, and specify a `null` `name` (first) parameter in the SortField object constructor. For example:

         var col:ICollectionView = new ArrayCollection();
         col.addItem("California");
         col.addItem("Arizona");
         var sort:Sort = new Sort();
          // There is only one sort field, so use a null
         // first parameter.
         sort.fields = [new SortField(null, true)];
         col.sort = sort;
         col.refresh();

The Flex implementations of the `ICollectionView` interface retrieve all items from a remote location before executing a sort. If you use paging with a sorted list, apply the sort to the remote collection before you retrieve the data.

By default this Sort class does not provide correct language specific sorting for strings. For this type of sorting please see the `spark.collections.Sort` and `spark.collections.SortField` classes.

Note: to prevent problems like FLEX-34853 it is recommended to use SortField instances as immutable objects (by not changing their state).

MXML Syntax Show MXML Syntax
Hide MXML Syntax

The `<mx:Sort>` tag has the following attributes:

      <mx:Sort
      Properties
      compareFunction="Internal compare function"
      fields="null"
      unique="false | true"
      />

In case items have inconsistent data types or items have complex data types, the use of the default built-in compare functions is not recommended. Inconsistent sorting results may occur in such cases. To avoid such problem, provide a custom compare function and/or make the item types consistent.

Just like any other `AdvancedStyleClient`-based classes, the `Sort` and `SortField` classes do not have a parent-child relationship in terms of event handling. Locale changes in a `Sort` instance are not dispatched to its `SortField` instances automatically. The only exceptional case is the internal default `SortField` instance used when no explicit fields are provided. In this case, the internal default `SortField` instance follows the locale style that the owner `Sort` instance has.

Default MXML Property `fields`

See also

mx.collections.ICollectionView
ISortField
spark.collections.Sort
spark.collections.SortField

Public Properties

| Property | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | compareFunction : Function The method used to compare items when sorting. | Sort
|  | fields : Array An Array of ISortField objects that specifies the fields to compare. | Sort
|  | unique : Boolean Indicates if the sort should be unique. | Sort

Public Methods

| Method | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | Sort(fields:Array = null, customCompareFunction:Function = null, unique:Boolean = false) Constructor. | Sort
|  | findItem(items:Array, values:Object, mode:String, returnInsertionIndex:Boolean = false, compareFunction:Function = null):int Finds the specified object within the specified array (or the insertion point if asked for), returning the index if found or -1 if not. | Sort
|  | propertyAffectsSort(property:String):Boolean Return whether the specified property is used to control the sort. | Sort
|  | reverse():void Goes through the fields array and calls reverse() on each of the ISortField objects in the array. | Sort
|  | sort(items:Array):void Apply the current sort to the specified array (not a copy). | Sort

Protected Methods

| Method | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | createEmptySortField():ISortField | Sort

Public Constants

| Constant | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | ANY_INDEX_MODE : String = any [static] When executing a find return the index any matching item. | Sort
|  | FIRST_INDEX_MODE : String = first [static] When executing a find return the index for the first matching item. | Sort
|  | LAST_INDEX_MODE : String = last [static] When executing a find return the index for the last matching item. | Sort

Property Detail

compareFunction | property

`compareFunction:Function`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

The method used to compare items when sorting. If you specify this property, Flex ignores any `compareFunction` properties that you specify in the `ISortField` objects that you use in this class.

The compare function must have the following signature:

                  function [name](a:Object, b:Object, fields:Array = null):int

This function must return the following value:

- -1, if the `Object a` should appear before the `Object b` in the sorted sequence
- 0, if the `Object a` equals the `Object b`
- 1, if the `Object a` should appear after the `Object b` in the sorted sequence

To return to the internal comparision function, set this value to `null`.

The `fields` array specifies the object fields to compare. Typically the algorithm will compare properties until the field list is exhausted or a non-zero value can be returned. For example:

            function myCompare(a:Object, b:Object, fields:Array = null):int
            {
                var result:int = 0;
                var i:int = 0;
                var propList:Array = fields ? fields : internalPropList;
                var len:int = propList.length;
                var propName:String;
                while (result == 0 && (i < len))
                {
                    propName = propList[i];
                    result = compareValues(a[propName], b[propName]);
                    i++;
                }
                return result;
            }
                 function compareValues(a:Object, b:Object):int
            {
                if (a == null && b == null)
                    return 0;
                     if (a == null)
                  return 1;
                     if (b == null)
                   return -1;
                     if (a < b)
                    return -1;
                     if (a > b)
                    return 1;
                     return 0;
            }

The default value is an internal compare function that can perform a string, numeric, or date comparison in ascending or descending order. Specify your own function only if you need a need a custom comparison algorithm. This is normally only the case if a calculated field is used in a display.

Alternatively you can specify separate compare functions for each sort field by using the `ISortField` class `compareFunction` property; This way you can use the default comparison for some fields and a custom comparison for others.

Implementation
`public function get compareFunction():Function`
`public function set compareFunction(value:Function):void`

fields | property |

`fields:Array`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

An `Array` of `ISortField` objects that specifies the fields to compare. The order of the ISortField objects in the array determines field priority order when sorting. The default sort comparator checks the sort fields in array order until it determinines a sort order for the two fields being compared.

The default value is `null`.

This property can be used as the source for data binding.

Implementation
`public function get fields():Array`
`public function set fields(value:Array):void`

See also

SortField

unique | property |

`unique:Boolean`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Indicates if the sort should be unique. Unique sorts fail if any value or combined value specified by the fields listed in the fields property result in an indeterminate or non-unique sort order; that is, if two or more items have identical sort field values. An error is thrown if the sort is not unique. The sorting logic uses this `unique` property value only if sort field(s) are specified explicitly. If no sort fields are specified explicitly, no error is thrown even when there are identical value elements.

The default value is `false`.

Implementation
`public function get unique():Boolean`
`public function set unique(value:Boolean):void`
Constructor Detail

Sort | () | Constructor

`public function Sort(fields:Array = null, customCompareFunction:Function = null, unique:Boolean = false)`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Constructor.

Creates a new Sort with no fields set and no custom comparator.

Parameters

| `fields:Array` (default = `null`)`` — An `Array` of `ISortField` objects that specifies the fields to compare.
| `customCompareFunction:Function` (default = `null`)`` — Use a custom function to compare the objects in the collection to which this sort will be applied.
| `unique:Boolean` (default = `false`)`` — Indicates if the sort should be unique.

Method Detail

createEmptySortField | () | method

`protected function createEmptySortField():ISortField`

Returns

| `ISortField`

findItem | () | method |

`public function findItem(items:Array, values:Object, mode:String, returnInsertionIndex:Boolean = false, compareFunction:Function = null):int`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Finds the specified object within the specified array (or the insertion point if asked for), returning the index if found or -1 if not. The `ListCollectionView` class `findxxx()` methods use this method to find the requested item; as a general rule, it is easier to use these functions, and not `findItem()` to find data in `ListCollectionView`-based objects. You call the `findItem()` method directly when writing a class that supports sorting, such as a new `ICollectionView` implementation. The input items array need to be sorted before calling this function. Otherwise this function will not be able to find the specified value properly.

Parameters

| `items:Array` — the Array within which to search.
| `values:Object` — Object containing the properties to look for (or the object to search for, itself). The object must consist of field name/value pairs, where the field names are names of fields specified by the `fields` property, in the same order they are used in that property. You do not have to specify all of the fields from the `fields` property, but you cannot skip any in the order. Therefore, if the `fields` properity lists three fields, you can specify its first and second fields in this parameter, but you cannot specify only the first and third fields.
| `mode:String` — String containing the type of find to perform. Valid values are:
ANY_INDEX_MODE | Return any position that is valid for the values.
--- | ---
FIRST_INDEX_MODE | Return the position where the first occurrance of the values is found.
LAST_INDEX_MODE | Return the position where the last ocurrance of the specified values is found.
| `returnInsertionIndex:Boolean` (default = `false`)`` — If the method does not find an item identified by the `values` parameter, and this parameter is `true` the `findItem()` method returns the insertion point for the values, that is the point in the sorted order where you should insert the item.
| `compareFunction:Function` (default = `null`)`` — a comparator function to use to find the item. If you do not specify this parameter or , or if you provide a `null` value, `findItem()` function uses the compare function determined by the `ISort` instance's `compareFunction` property, passing in the array of fields determined by the values object and the current `SortFields`. If you provide a non-null value, `findItem()` function uses it as the compare function. The signature of the function passed as `compareFunction` must be as follows: `function myCompareFunction(a:Object, b:Object):int`. Note that there is no third argument unlike the compare function for `ISort.compareFunction()` property.

Returns

| `int` — int The index in the array of the found item. If the `returnInsertionIndex` parameter is `false` and the item is not found, returns -1. If the `returnInsertionIndex` parameter is `true` and the item is not found, returns the index of the point in the sorted array where the values would be inserted.

propertyAffectsSort | () | method |

`public function propertyAffectsSort(property:String):Boolean`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Return whether the specified property is used to control the sort. The function cannot determine a definitive answer if the sort uses a custom comparator; it always returns `true` in this case.

Parameters

| `property:String` — The name of the field to test.

Returns

| `Boolean` — Whether the property value might affect the sort outcome. If the sort uses the default compareFunction, returns `true` if the `property` parameter specifies a sort field. If the sort or any `ISortField` uses a custom comparator, there's no way to know, so return `true`.

reverse | () | method |

`public function reverse():void`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Goes through the `fields` array and calls `reverse()` on each of the `ISortField` objects in the array. If the field was descending now it is ascending, and vice versa.

Note: an `ICollectionView` does not automatically update when the objects in the `fields` array are modified; call its `refresh()` method to update the view.

Note: a future release of Apache Flex SDK will change the signature of this function to return a reversed clone of this Sort instance. See FLEX-34853.

sort | () | method |

`public function sort(items:Array):void`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Apply the current sort to the specified array (not a copy). To prevent the array from being modified, create a copy use the copy in the `items` parameter.

Flex `ICollectionView` implementations call the `sort` method automatically and ensure that the sort is performed on a copy of the underlying data.

Parameters

| `items:Array` — Array of items to sort.

Constant Detail

ANY_INDEX_MODE | Constant

`public static const ANY_INDEX_MODE:String = any`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

When executing a find return the index any matching item.

FIRST_INDEX_MODE | Constant |

`public static const FIRST_INDEX_MODE:String = first`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

When executing a find return the index for the first matching item.

LAST_INDEX_MODE | Constant |

`public static const LAST_INDEX_MODE:String = last`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version : | Flex 3

Runtime Versions : | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

When executing a find return the index for the last matching item.

Wed Nov 15 2017, 09:50 AM +01:00