Sorting by Asset Name and Metadata values

[NickyP]

Matrix Version: 5.3

Hi Squiz folk

I have an asset Listing Page that I’m trying to do some sorting
example: sort each element by asset name (alphabetically and by metadata value start time)

A 9:30 am - 10:am
A 9:30 am - 10:am

B 10:00 am - 10:30 am
B 10:00 am - 10:30 am
etc

I can sort alphabetically using the keyword sort but how do I include the time (metadata) as well??

PS I got this to work using javascript but was a lot of mucking around, would be preferable to do it all within matrix - I’m still keen to hear from anyone who has had similar problems.

Cheers
Nick

[harinder.singh]

You can achieve this by having an another metadata text field and combine the values.

Use the following keywords(together) as default value of the text field

%asset_name%%metadata_field_XXXXXXX_start_time^date_format:hi%

Then, you can sort by this new metadata field. I have tested it at my end.

Note: don’t forget to disable the editing option for your content editors. Otherwise, anyone can modify it.

[NickyP]

Sounds like a plan and if I understand you correctly:

1: add another text field to the existing Schema (I called it custom_sort)
2: Add this to the default value
%asset_name%%metadata_field_XXXXXXX_start_time^date_format:hi%
I’m guessing XXXXXX is the field id of start_time
3: sorting on the asset listing sort by metadata and select the newly created metadata data field (custom_sort)

Now I must be doing something wrong because I see this value:

<meta name="custom_sort" content="Talking Global Studies with Culture and Heritage 
                       %metadata_field_1723808_start_date^date_format:hi%" />

Please note: start_date is a metadata date field not a text field.

Cheers
Nick

[harinder.singh]

Use the name instead of ID

[NickyP]

Ok, got it - I’m still not 100% convinced that this works though unless I still don’t have the right settings:
From what I can gather the time format, say 1:00 pm = 0100 would sit higher than 9:00 am = 0900?

The sorting on the asset listing is: default sort-by option: metadata field, sort type: raw value, sort direction: descending.

But as you can see in the screen shot asset name - 0100 sits at the top. Have I missed something?

[harinder.singh]

%asset_name%%metadata_field_XXXXXXX_start_time^date_format:hi%

my bad. Use Capital H instead of small. It will convert it into 24 hour format.

%asset_name%%metadata_field_XXXXXXX_start_time^date_format:Hi%

[NickyP]

Thank you Harinder, worked on our test instance 5.5 but not on our prod instance 5.3.
I’ll keep this in my back pocket though for future reference.

Cheers
Nick