Documentation

Sorting Records

Organize your data by sorting records in ascending or descending order.

Overview

Simpl allows you to sort your table view by any column, making it easy to find the most recent records, highest values, or alphabetically-ordered items.

Sorted list view

Sorting Basics

Opening the Sort Panel

Click the Sort button in the toolbar to open the sort configuration panel.

Sort button in toolbar

Selecting a Sort Column

Choose which column to sort by from the dropdown menu. All columns in your table are available.

Sort column selector

Choosing Sort Direction

Select the sort direction:

DirectionIconDescription
Ascending↑A-Z, 0-9, oldest first
Descending↓Z-A, 9-0, newest first

Sort direction toggle

Sort Behavior by Type

Different column types sort in intuitive ways:

Text Columns

  • Ascending: A → Z (alphabetical)
  • Descending: Z → A (reverse alphabetical)
  • Case-insensitive sorting

Number Columns

  • Ascending: Smallest → Largest
  • Descending: Largest → Smallest

Date/Timestamp Columns

  • Ascending: Oldest → Newest
  • Descending: Newest → Oldest (most common)

Boolean Columns

  • Ascending: False → True
  • Descending: True → False

Null Values

Null values are sorted to the end regardless of sort direction. This keeps meaningful data at the top of your view.

Common Sorting Scenarios

Most Recent Records

For tables with timestamps (like created_at or updated_at):

  1. Sort by the date column
  2. Choose Descending order
  3. Newest records appear first

Sorted by date descending

Alphabetical Lists

For name or title columns:

  1. Sort by the text column
  2. Choose Ascending order
  3. Records appear A → Z

Highest/Lowest Values

For numeric columns (prices, counts, scores):

  1. Sort by the number column
  2. Choose Descending for highest first, Ascending for lowest first

Saved Sort Preferences

Per-Table Settings

Your sort preference is saved for each table in your layout configuration. When you return to a table, your last sort order is preserved.

Changing Default Sort

To set a new default sort for a table:

  1. Apply your desired sort
  2. The preference is automatically saved
  3. This becomes the default for future visits

Sorting with Filters and Search

Sort order is maintained when you:

  • Apply filters - sorted results are filtered
  • Use search - matching records keep sort order
  • Change pages - all pages follow the same sort

This means you can:

  1. Sort by "newest first"
  2. Filter to "active" status
  3. Search for "john"
  4. Results: Active records matching "john", newest first

Sort Indicators

Active Sort Display

The current sort is indicated by:

  • Sort column name displayed in the toolbar
  • Arrow icon showing direction (↑ or ↓)

Sort indicator in toolbar

Removing Sort

To remove sorting and return to default order:

  1. Open the sort panel
  2. Click Clear Sort or select "None"
  3. Records return to their natural order (usually by primary key)

Tips for Effective Sorting

Use with Pagination

When browsing large tables:

  • Sort first, then scroll
  • Sorting applies across all pages
  • Most relevant records appear first

Combine with Filters

For specific subsets:

  1. Filter to your target records
  2. Sort to organize them
  3. Scan efficiently for what you need

Quick Analysis

Sorting helps with quick data analysis:

  • Find outliers (sort by value, check top/bottom)
  • Review recent activity (sort by date)
  • Spot patterns (sort and scan)

Current Limitations

Single Column Sort

Simpl currently supports sorting by one column at a time. Multi-column sorting (e.g., sort by status, then by date) is not yet available.

Sort Performance

For very large tables (millions of rows), sorting may add latency. Consider:

  • Applying filters first to reduce dataset size
  • Using indexed columns for faster sorts

Next Steps