Sorting the Review File List of Records

Create Lists enables you to sort the list of records within a review file by any of the data elements the records contain. For example, you can sort patron records by Patron Name or Expiration Date. The first field you choose is the primary sort criterion, the next is the secondary criterion, and so on. You can specify a maximum of 32 different sort criteria. The system sorts the list in alphanumeric or chronological order, depending on the data type of the sort criteria. Records that do not include the specified sort field appear at the beginning of the resulting sorted list.

Within review files created by searching a range of record numbers, records are sorted by record number unless you have appended records to the list. Appended record sets are sorted individually by record number.

You can sort review file records by the value of fields in linked records. For example, you can sort a review file of bibliographic records by the barcode in linked item records. Note that if a review file record links to more than one record, such as a bibliographic record linked to multiple item records, the system creates duplicate entries for every occurrence of linked records containing the specified field.

Notes on Duplicate Entries
  • If the primary sort criterion is a field that occurs more than once in a given record, such as the SUBJECT field, a duplicate listing of the record appears for each occurrence of the field. This allows the record to be sorted in multiple locations within the review file. As a result, a review file's record count can increase after sorting. Resorting the review file by record number removes those duplicate entries. However, this method does not eliminate duplicate entries introduced by appending records to the list. To remove these entries from the list, you must remove all duplicates.
  • Sorting by the PAID DATE, INV DATE, and PAID AMT fields in order records does not create duplicate entries in the review file list of records. These fields are stored in an order record as subfields within the PAID field, along with the voucher number and optional payment note. (See the description of order record PAID fields for more information). While there can be multiple PAID fields in an order record, Create Lists examines only the data from the first PAID field in the record when sorting. Thus, if you specify the PAID DATE, INV DATE, or PAID AMT fields as sort criteria and there are multiple PAID fields in the record, the system does not create multiple entries for the record.
  • Specifying a MARC tag as the sort field can eliminate the creation of duplicate copies of records in the review file during sorting. If the primary sort field occurs more than once in a record, Create Lists makes duplicate entries for that record in the review file for all fields other than PAID fields (see the note above). For example, if the primary sort field is the title (Innovative tag 't'), a record with both a 245 and 222 title field appears in the sort list twice. However, if you specify the primary sort field as MARC tag "245" instead of Innovative tag 't', the record appears only once in the list. Records that do not contain the MARC tag specified as the primary sort field appear at the beginning of the sorted list.
  • If the introduction of duplicate entries causes the number of records listed in the review file to exceed the maximum number for that review file, the system drops the excess records. Resorting by record number will not restore the dropped records. In such a case, you must clear the review file and re-run the original query to restore the contents.

Sorting the List of Records in a Review File

To sort the list of records in a review file:

  1. Choose Create Lists from the Function list.
  2. In the Review Files tab, choose the review file you want to sort by selecting its row.
  3. Choose the Sort Records button. The Sorting Fields dialog box opens.
  4. (Optional) Choose Apply Saved Sort to select a saved set of sort parameters.
  5. In the Sorting Fields dialog box, double-click the Type box and choose a record type from the pop-up window.
  6. Double-click the Field box and choose a field from the pop-up window.
  7. (Optional) Specify additional sort criteria.
  8. (Optional) Delete sort criteria.
  9. (Optional) Choose Save This Sort to save your sort parameters for use on additional review files. Saved parameter sets can include a maximum of 32 fields.

Saved sort names cannot include the vertical bar (|) character.

  1. Choose the Sort button. Create Lists closes the dialog box and sorts the list of records in the review file.

While the system sorts the review file, the Status column of the Review Files tab indicates "sorting" and the Create Lists buttons are disabled for that review file. When the sort is finished, the Status column indicates "complete" and the Create Lists buttons are enabled.

Specifying Additional Sort Criteria

To specify additional sort criteria:

  1. Specify your criteria for the first sort.
  2. Choose the Append button to add a sort criterion after the last criterion in the table, or choose the Insert button to add a sort criterion before the selected criterion.
  3. Double-click the Type box and choose a record type from the pop-up window.
  4. Double-click the Field box and choose a field from the pop-up window.
  5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to specify any additional criteria.
  6. Choose the Sort/Save button. Create Lists sorts the records in the review file and saves the result as part of the review file's attributes.

You can create a maximum of 32 sort criteria. Create Lists sorts the records listed in the review file in the order that the sort criteria appear in the table.

Deleting Sort Criteria

To remove a sort criterion from the table:

  1. Select the row or rows of the sort criteria you want to remove.
  2. Choose the Delete button to remove the selected row(s).

Saving Sort Parameters

You can review the sort parameter sets saved on your system in the Saved Sorts tab of Create Lists. Select a Sort Name in the lower portion of the tab to see the corresponding saved settings in the upper portion of the tab.

Select (check) the Template check box to make the saved criteria available to Create Lists Limited users.

Choose New to create a new set of parameters you can apply to review files.

Saved sort names cannot include the vertical bar (|) character.

Choose Edit to alter the selected parameter set.

Choose Delete to delete the selected parameter set.