[thelist] sorting recordset problems

[Mattias Thorslund]

Ken Schaefer wrote:

>I would also recommend rewriting the filenames. However, if you don't, then
>my suggestion would involve some string manipulation:
>a) grab the YY part
>
>b) look at what's left. Two digits = DM. Three digits is, unfortunately
>ambiguous (e.g. is 11105 1st Nov, or 11th Jan?). Four digits is DDMM
>  
>

The file date might be a help/hint in the ambigous 3-digit case (e.g. ,
if the file was created in November, it can't mean January 11th). If the
file dates are reliable, the new/converted names could be created
entirely from the file dates.

>c) create a string that YYYYMMDD
>
>d) add this value to an extra field in your recordset
>
>e) use the Recordset's .Sort method to sort on this field.
>
>Cheers
>Ken
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: thelist-bounces at lists.evolt.org
>[mailto:thelist-bounces at lists.evolt.org] On Behalf Of Pringle, Ron
>Sent: Thursday, 5 January 2006 7:24 AM
>To: 'thelist at lists.evolt.org'
>Subject: Re: [thelist] sorting recordset problems
>
>
>  
>
>>Off the top of my head:
>>
>> * sorting in VBScript can be a nightmare
>> * can you sort your query by a substring of the file name, or by two
>>substrings?
>> * for the month, you'd also have to include a CASE statement so you
>>could sort descending on the number of the month. There's no 
>>logical way
>>to sort the names of the months.
>>
>>Anywhere I'm allowed (and some places I'm not) I enforce 
>>CCYYMMDD dates
>>exclusively, to sorting is simple and conversion to other formats
>>relatively simple.
>>
>>joel
>>    
>>
>
>Joel-
>
>Thanks for the response. Yes, I'm thinking I may need to rewrite the file
>names, as it'd be a hell of a lot easier, however, there are thousands of
>these files already in existence from before my time. I think I'll approach
>it that way though, as I'm sure it will save me down the road.
>
>Ron
>  
>