NumToSortableText ( value ; decimals )

returns a textual representation of a number for sort purposes

Average rating: 4.7 (30 votes) Log in to vote

Theo Ros - Show more from this author

Sample input:

NumToSortableText ( 1234 ; 2 )

NumToSortableText ( -1234 ; 2 )

Sample output:

90000000000001234.00

09999999999998765.99

Function definition: (Copy & paste into FileMaker's Edit Custom Function window)

/*-------------------------------------------------------
Returns a sortable textual representation of a numeric value.
To text-sort numbers, you will have to pad them with zeros. 
To be able to cope with negative values, subfunction FlipDigits() 
is used, to convert these into text, that when padded with nines 
will turn the smallest value into the largest one.
Finally, positive values will be preceded by a "9", while negative
values will be prefixed wit a "0".
This will result in textvalues that will sort correctly, for instance
in a portal-sort solution.

Syntax: NumToSortableText ( value ; decimals )
Return type: Text

Uses function FlipDigits() defined earlier.

NumToSortableText ( 1234 ; 2 )  returns "90000000000001234.00"
NumToSortableText ( -1234 ; 2 ) returns "09999999999998765.99"

Author - Theo Ros
----------------------------------------------------------*/

Let ( [ decimals = Abs ( decimals ) ; 
          value = Round ( value ; decimals ) ; 
          decpad = Left ( "0000000000000000" ; decimals ) ; 
          decs =  Filter ( Abs ( value ) - Truncate ( Abs ( value ) ; 0 ) ; "0123456789" ) ] ;
  If ( GetAsNumber ( value ) < 0 ; 
    "0" & Right ( "9999999999999999" & FlipDigits ( Truncate ( Abs ( value ) ; 0 ) ) ; 16 ) & "." & FlipDigits ( Left ( decs  & decpad ; decimals ) ) ;  
    "9" & Right ( "0000000000000000" & GetAsText ( Truncate ( value ; 0 ) ) ; 16 ) & "." & Left ( decs & decpad ; decimals )
  ) 
)

Returns a sortable textual representation of a numeric value.
To text-sort numbers, you will have to pad them with zeros.
To be able to cope with negative values, subfunction FlipDigits()
is used, to convert these into text, that when padded with nines
will turn the smallest value into the largest one.
Finally, positive values will be preceded by a "9", while negative
values will be prefixed wit a "0".
This will result in textvalues that will sort correctly, for instance
in a portal-sort solution.

Syntax: NumToSortableText ( value ; decimals )
Return type: Text

Uses function FlipDigits() defined earlier.

Comments

		Jason Mark, Northampton MA May 10, 2013
Thanks!

Note: these functions are not guaranteed or supported by BrianDunning.com. Please contact the individual developer with any questions or problems.

NumToSortableText ( value ; decimals )

Comments

Support this website.

Support this website.