Sorting is placing information in some kind of order to help you find and evaluate it.
Without a sort, data (information) appears on the report in the order in which it was originally entered into the database. Finding information in this kind of report is difficult. It is much easier to find information when you can see it sorted in a logical order. For example, you may want to have a contact list sorted alphabetically by name.
A sort is applied to all sections within a report. When ordering information for a group section, it will sort the information within each information set accordingly. It does not affect the group sort direction, which controls the order in which the information sets are displayed. For example, you may want a list of contacts split into groups by town; say from York to Aberdeen - this is the group sort direction. Then within the information sets the contacts are sorted alphabetically by name - this is the data sort.
Apply several sorts to a report.
You could sort a contact list first by name and then by post code. Each sort is listed separately in your report and is applied in the order in which it is appears in the list.
Choose Report > Sorts.
The Sorts window appears.
The list displays the sorts that will be applied to the report; these are listed in order.
The Sorts window appears.
To add a sort, click Add; or to edit a sort, select it and click Configure.
You can sort the data according to the value of a variable or the value of an expression.