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SORT

SORT Options

Use the SORT command to rearrange the records in the final set of your search by specific fields, such as author name in a bibliography or sales in a financial report. Search results are sorted alphabetically or numerically, according to the field specified. Check the database Bluesheet or enter HELP SORT n (where n is the file number) online to determine the SORT fields available in a given database.

The SORT command creates a new, sorted set that you can use with the TYPE, DISPLAY, PRINT, or REPORT command. You can use a sorted set in subsequent search statements, but the resulting set will not be in sorted order. You can sort the new set using any of the available SORT parameters for that file.

If a set is not sorted, records are viewed by their Dialog accession numbers in descending order. In most databases, this reflects reverse chronological order; the record most recently entered in the database has the highest accession number and displays first.

When searching more than one file using OneSearch^®, you can sort a set drawn from multiple files only by Publication Year (PY) or Publication Date (PD). For all other fields, you must use FROM to specify a single file number to SORT (e.g., SORT S1/ALL/SA,D FROM 516).

Note: For correct results, you must sort ALL items in a set.

A graphical interface is also available for SORT in DialogLink 5. The sets you have created since your last BEGIN command display in the Set Links section of the Linking Pane. If you click a set in the pane, Linking choices appear. Click on the Task list and then click SORT.

Task List > Sort

(Field Code (ff) Option) 

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