3.11. Sort

Sort

Bookends Sonny Software Library Master Balboa Software ProCite EndNote Reference Papyrus
RefWorks (web based) Biblioscape Bookends Library Master Procite EndNote Reference Manager Papyrus †

1 Scope
   1. sorting records within the database
   2. sorting records in output

RW: 1; 2(a) sort the db (or a subset, i.e.: any folder or view list) before printing (sort specifications within the style will not be used); 2(b) each citation style has got its sort orders for export, bibliograpic list and in-text citations within manuscripts.
Cannot create user defined sort criteria
Bscp: 1 2 BK: 1 2 LM: 1; 2; 1 and 2 are different but can overlap Pr: 1; 2; 1 and 2 are different but can overlap En: 1: one criterion by default that can be altered; 2 sort the db (or a subset) to export or print (sort specifications within the style will not be used); each citation style has got its sort orders for the bibliograpic list and manuscript in-text citations; subject bibliography can use sort orders and styles on the fly RM: 1 this is the criterium used for the report output as well; 2 wp manuscript bibliography list and in-text citations have their own sort order

(e.g. bibliography list only supports Citation order and Author/Date)

Papyrus : 1 (limited: RN or author) or Group of records; 2: Group of records

2  Basic sort criterion for characters:
   1. operating system's tables
   2. program specific settings and/or tables
   3. user defined table (es. ä = ae)

RW: can select language sort option based on operating system's localization options Bscp: 1 BK: 1 LM: 1; can ignore case and accents and leading words as defined in a customizable list; call numbers -Dewey and LC classification- have special sorting; numbers are tretaed as numbers, not text Pr: 1; 2 internal regional tables

Leading punctuation is always ignored. Apart from Dates and Call Number digits are still letters. 2 non-filing strings lists available see below Changing sort criterium / table, requires database rebuild; LC Call/Classification and Dewey numbers are taken into account and sorted before digits and letters; Dates are converted into an internal format and sorted consequently

En: 1 Windows active table for output list. Leading blanks and punctuation are ignored for titles, otherwise punctuation marks are considered; author sort will consider all the authors in the field or just the first surname according to the choice; two non-filing strings lists available (see below); internal regional tables can be chosen to handle diacritics differently RM: 1; 2 internal regional tables; can also set "Character set sort " where letters with diacritics are sorted at the end

Leading punctuation and articles are never ignored. Digits are still mixed with letters apart from Dates and RN  where they have numeric value

Papyrus: 1; 3: special provision for vowels with umlaut + names with different display form can have same sort form; leading punctuation and English, French, German articles are ignored

3 Sort keys on different levels

RW: no, always on one level, though composite Bscp:  built-in criteria on 2 or 3 levels BK:  3 (on any field A/D) LM: yes, up to 5 levels (each A/D) Pr: yes, 2 or 3 levels, 6 levels (each A/D) for custom sort order En: yes, 5 levels (each A/D) for db list sort, each output style has got its sort order based on 5 predefined and composite criteria + 1 custom (in which: 5 levels, each A/D) + 1 option edited after original  works RM: yes 3 levels (each one A/D) on any field Papyrus : yes, any field -on n levels- under user's control; descending order only for year

4 How to sort the database

RW: choose a sorting order on the All references list  (10 criteria available, 11 on search results); a default sort order is also set in the general customization area

can sort any view list (folder, My List or search results)

Bscp:  click on column bar of short record list when secondary index for the field is provided (can customize) BK:  ad hoc command ("Refs" --> Sort all references) LM:
- default sort order (that can be used also for the short record list) is based either on a sort file or on up to five levels - in the short record list : pull down menu option or mouse click on an indexed field (descending order not available);
- to sort on the fly the whole database on non indexed fields, mouse click on the short record list field name

you get a temporary different sort order (sorted snapshot), where descending order is available by re-clicking the name bar

Pr:
Pull down menu option with 7 + 1 custom order (up to 6 levels A/D) or mouse click on the short record list field name bar to sort (A/D and more options are available)
En:
Pull down menu option or mouse click on the short record list field name, can sort A/D
RM:
Setting permanent option (Change Database Sort Order) or mouse click on the short record list field name bar to sort temporarily
Papyrus:
button choice on the database main window (All References)  

5 How to sort for printing

RW: sort the list before printing; sort is also one of the bibliography citation style settings, included in each style Bscp:  bibliography sort order is included in each style (5 options available); output reports have their own sort sequence BK: ad hoc command ("Hits" --> Sort Hits List) LM: sort order file to be connected with style files Pr: ready made options from pull down menu En: sort selected records or the whole db (the active style is not taken into account) to export; the sort specifications within the style will only be used for manuscript's in-text citations and bibliography list RM: from the database reference list it uses the sort order of the selected list of records; for the manuscript bibliography list and in-text citations it uses the style's specifications that can also be altered on the fly from within the CWYW function (see 13 Manuscript formatting) Papyrus: within the style

6 Database sort is kept over sessions

RW: yes, the one set in the general customization area Bscp: yes BK: yes LM: yes, but not the clicking on the bar-one (sorted snapshot) Pr: yes En: yes RM: yes, but not the temporary --clicking on the bar-- one Papyrus: yes

7 Can alter the sort value of a string

RW: no Bscp: no BK: no LM: no, can only ignore leading stopwords (1 list; punctuation marks cannot be ignored: bad titles sort) Pr: no, only leading stopwords (2 lists : authors, generic) En: no, only leading non-filing strings (2 lists: authors, titles, see below) RM: no, (stopwords not available: bad titles sort) Papyrus: yes for names that can individually have their sort value + ñ = oe et sim.; built-in stopwords for leading English, French, German articles are out of reach

8 Ignore initial articles and punctuation marks (non-filing strings)

RW: no Bscp: no BK: no LM: articles and words yes, thanks to a customizable list; leading punctuation marks are anyhow retained and confound the sorting

Stopword in beginning position can be preserved if followed by hard space (Ctrl-Space)

Pr: yes, thanks to customizable stopword files: two lists belonging to each database: 1 general (corporate names included) 2 personal authors

Stopwords cannot be disactivated: must be emptied. Stopword in beginning position can be preserved if followed by hard space (Ctrl-Shift-space)

En: leading punctuation always excluded + two customizable stopword files belonging to each database: 1 authors (case sensitive and corporate names included); 2 titles

Stopwords cannot be disactivated: must be emptied

RM: no (does not have sort stopwords list) Papyrus: built-in list of leading English, French, German articles that are automatically skipped; also leading punctuation marks are skipped

9 Other: varia

RW: Bscp:  sorting is case sensitive in any item list (lookup term lists: thus "berlusconi" is sorted after "Zapatero"), sorting is case insensitive only in the main brief record list.
But user can choose to use case-sensitive or case-insensitive by click the right mouse button
BK:  n.a. LM: sort files or default pattern can set also: use of non-indexed fields, A/D order, sort according to RT, ignore leading words, ignore case and accents, replace first field if empty with another field or text Pr: Custom sort lets also choose between: empty fields first or last; all authors or only first; full name vs surname; full date vs year En: special provisions for anonymous works and for edited works sorted after original works by the same author  RM: can sort kw within the kw field Papyrus: as noted, names may have 2 forms: display and sort, e.g. de Durfort, Béatrice can be sorted as Durfort, Béatrice

** Other features that could be taken into account:

  • Sort key length can be defined
  • Sort for printing belongs to output styles
  • Sort records in output using: words ; single occurrence of a multiple field; marked strings ; portions of field and subfield ; whole field ... 
  • Conditional ("if ... then ...") commands available for sorting
  • Sort keys derived from different fields
  • Sort of records lacking the first sort criterion, e.g.: anonymous works by title, or before, after the other records ...



10  Sort can produce headings above sorted records (so-called : "subject bibliography", i.e. indexed/headed report list)

RefWorks (web based) Biblioscape Bookends Library Master Procite EndNote Reference Manager Papyrus
RW: no Bscp: yes BK: no LM: yes, also headings only, without records Pr: yes, also headings only, without records (alphabetic sort) En: yes,
a) alphabetic sort A/D, b) on the basis of occurrences (Term count) A/D
RM:  yes,
a) alphabetic A/D sort, b) on the basis of occurrences (Term count) A/D
Papyrus: yes, also headings only, without records

10.1 Sort keys are another item from headings (i.e. sort on A, display B), so that they can match or be different

RW: n.a. Bscp: yes, it can be the heading itself or sort by number of occurrences (count) n.a. LM: yes Pr: no, they are just the same thing En: no, they are just the same thing RM: no, they are just the same thing Papyrus: no --apart from names, see above-- they are just the same thing

10.2 Headings do not need to be displayed within records

RW: n.a. Bscp: yes, they do not BK: n.a. LM: yes, they do not Pr: yes, they do not En: yes, they do not RM: yes, they do not Papyrus: yes, they do not

10.3 More than one level of sort key as headings

RW: n.a. Bscp: no, only one level BK: n.a. LM: no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once

the producer -Balboa Software- clarifies that two levels headings are possible [quoting] "Using a 'field different' conditional command in the Format File to display the second sort field at the top of a group of records. This works best on a non-list field for the second sort field". So you could create a subject bibliography with records grouped under each subject by author or date"

Pr: no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once (e.g. mixed sorting by subject and classes) En:  no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once (e.g. mixed sorting by subject and classification numbers) RM: no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once (e.g. mixed sorting by subject and classification numbers) Papyrus: no, only one, from just one field 

10.4 Sort of records under the same sort key

RW: n.a. Bscp: uses database general sort order, ascending or descending BK: n.a. LM: ruled by any specified print sort file Pr: ruled by the print sort order En: ruled by the print sort order belonging to each output style: can be altered on the fly RM: uses the database general sort order Papyrus: authors; year; RN or RefID

10.5 Sort occurrences of a repeatable field as headings
    1. altogether
    2. all separated
    3. just one

RW: n.a. Bscp: all together for most fields, for Authors and Keywords field, individual
author and keyword is listed as heading
BK: n.a. LM: 1; 2
(use the "field different" conditional command in the Format File)
Pr: 1; 2 names kw and any entry separated by //, /, <CR>, <Line Feed> En: 1; 2 names kw and any other entry separated by //, /, <CR>, <Line Feed> RM: 1; 2 names kw, and any other entry separated by //, /, <CR>, <Line Feed> Papyrus:  2; if headings come from a word-by-word indexed field, headings will be single words and not the whole field

10.6 Records are referenced more than once by different sort headings

RW: n.a. Bscp: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross
references)
BK: n.a. LM: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) Pr: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) En: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) RM: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) Papyrus: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references)

10.7 Sort headings can be formatted

RW: n.a. Bscp: always in bold BK: n.a. LM: yes, bold, underline, italics, capitalization, super/sub-script Pr: yes, bold, underline, italics, uppercase En:  yes, bold, underline, italics, uppercase RM:  yes, bold, underline, italics, uppercase Papyrus:  no (always bold)

10.8 Can produce indexes referencing records in the database by a short element (e.g. RN)

RW: n.a. Bscp: yes BK: n.a. LM: yes Pr: yes En: yes RM: yes Papyrus: yes (also single words, if from field indexed in free-text or title mode)
Bookends Sonny Software Library Master Balboa Software ProCite EndNote Reference Papyrus


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