Sort function

[goaskmom]

I see many instances of the "sort" used in the admin. Some times you'll see numbers like 1,2,3, 4,830,7, 39, 9,10,701.

In reading through a long thread on how to fix PayPal, one guy said that most problems people have are with the sort orders for it all.

Putting different things in front of others makes many different things happen.

I understand the value of a sort, but I haven't seen how "sort" is really used in OSC explained. Anyone seen anything or could someone explain it, and why you'll see large 3 digit numbers right in there with other smaller numbers?

I've seen the field in the database, and I know that when you add mod's, people make up numbers so they might not conflict with some other mod.

[michael_s]

It is really easy.

Smaller numbers will appear higher in the output than larger numbers. Doesn't matter what the numbers are, that is how it works.

So, for shipping modules, you can set the sort order to 10,20,200,600,4000

And the module with the value of 10 will appear first on the checkout shipping page. The one with 4000 will appear last.

It works the same for all others.

The issue is with the order total mods. If you have them in the wrong order, some of them will not be able to get the correct values from the previous module, and the whole thing breaks down. They are set to a correct order by default, and only if you start messing with them will you have problems.

[goaskmom]

Are the sort orders dynamic or relative to the module using them? For instance, is a sort order of 5 in the shipping independent of all other modules? Or can "5" only be used once?

I'm just a little mixed up on where the 800's come from in the sort orders and why.

Is it possible to change the numbers on a sort order for one section and have it screw up something somewhere else, where that number was already being used?

[michael_s]

Shipping sort orders are only good for shipping modules.

Payment sort order are only good for payment modules.

You are over-thinking this. All sort order does is determine what order the modules or categories are displayed in the catalog, nothing more.

So, since payment modules are never shown on the shipping page (in the catalog checkout), their sort order is irrelevant in regards to the shipping modules.

The numbers can be completely arbitrary. Sometimes there are large gaps in certain modules to give you space to add more before it. If you pack all the numbers together and want to add one in the middle, you will have to change all the others to fit it in. If you have say a gap of 100 between your modules, you can space them by ten and add many modules without having to edit the numbers on the others.

[goaskmom]

Thanks Michael- wasn't over thinking it, just never seen a single word about it, and when it involves how things work, and changes the outcome of certain modules, I ask first, change second!

Okay, not all the time, but I'm trying to learn to do that.

Thanks for explaining it. Now I know!