Configure Column Sorting - Nextedy Documentation

Configure Default Sort Order

Add a top-level sortBy array to the sheet configuration. The array contains column ID strings in priority sequence:

sortBy:
  - severity
  - rpn
columns:
  - id: severity
    header: Severity
    bindings: severity
    type: enum
  - id: rpn
    header: RPN
    bindings: rpn
    type: int
    formula: commonRpn

The grid sorts by the first column ID on load, then uses subsequent column IDs as tiebreakers for equal values.

Sort Descending

Prefix a column ID with ~ (tilde) to sort that column in descending order:

sortBy:
  - ~rpn
  - priority

This sorts by RPN descending (highest risk first), then by priority ascending.

Sort by Outline Number

To maintain the same item order as in the Polarion LiveDoc, sort by outline number. Because outline numbers sort lexicographically by default (1.10 before 1.2), you need a server-rendered column that zero-pads each segment. Step 1 — Add a hidden server-rendered column that formats the outline number:

columns:
  - id: outlineSort
    header: Outline
    bindings: outlineNumber
    serverRender: "#set($on=$item.fields().get('outlineNumber').get())#if($on)#foreach($s in $on.split('\\.'))$String.format('%05d',$Integer.parseInt($s))#if($foreach.hasNext).#end#end#end"
    width: 0
    visible: false

Step 2 — Set the column as the default sort:

sortBy:
  - outlineSort

Without zero-padding, outline numbers sort lexicographically: 1.10 comes before 1.2. The Velocity snippet pads each segment to five digits (00001.00002), ensuring 1.2 correctly sorts before 1.10.

Interactive Sorting

Users can sort columns at runtime by clicking column headers:

Single click on a column header sorts ascending
Click again on the same header to switch to descending
Ctrl+Click (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Click (macOS) adds the column as a secondary sort criterion without clearing the existing sort

When column headers span multiple columns (using columnSpan), clicking the merged header does not trigger sorting. Click individual sub-column headers instead.

Sorting Behavior by Column Type

Risksheet applies specialized sorting logic automatically based on column type:

Column Type	Sort Behavior
`string`, `enum`	Alphabetical
`int`, `float`	Numeric
`itemLink`, `taskLink`	Alphanumeric work item ID sorting (`PROJECT-2` before `PROJECT-10`)
`multiItemLink`	Concatenates all linked item labels, sorts alphabetically
Outline number binding	Hierarchical sort (`1.2` before `1.10`)
Nested properties	Sorts by the linked item’s property value, not the link itself

Sort behavior for custom serverRender columns depends on the rendered output format. Test sorting after adding server-rendered columns.

Comparison Mode Constraints

When comparing to a baseline, Risksheet enforces specific sorting rules:

The grid automatically sorts by Item ID then Revision number — this cannot be overridden
Task and downstream columns cannot be sorted in comparison mode
Sorting operates on baseline snapshot values rather than current values (except for system identity fields like systemItemId and systemItemRevision)

Entering comparison mode removes any task column sort criteria and applies mandatory Item ID + Revision sorting. Your previous sort order is not preserved when you enter or exit comparison mode.

Automatic Behaviors

Risksheet handles several sorting details automatically:

Pending edits are saved before sorting occurs — you will not lose unsaved changes when clicking a header
Client-side execution — sorting, filtering, and pagination happen in the browser without server round-trips, providing immediate visual feedback
Unsaved items (prefixed with *) sort with the asterisk intact, keeping newly created items visible

URL Parameter for Sorting

You can also drive sorting via the sort URL parameter, which uses the same syntax as sortBy (comma-separated column IDs, with ~ prefix for descending):

?sort=~rpn,priority

This is useful for sharing deep links that open Risksheet pre-sorted to a specific order.

Verify

After configuring sortBy, reload the Risksheet page. The grid should display rows in the specified order on initial load. Click column headers to confirm interactive sorting works and verify that Ctrl/Cmd+Click enables multi-column sorting.

​Configure Default Sort Order

​Sort Descending

​Sort by Outline Number

​Interactive Sorting

​Sorting Behavior by Column Type

​Comparison Mode Constraints

​Automatic Behaviors

​URL Parameter for Sorting

​Verify

​See Also

Configure Default Sort Order

Sort Descending

Sort by Outline Number

Interactive Sorting

Sorting Behavior by Column Type

Comparison Mode Constraints

Automatic Behaviors

URL Parameter for Sorting

Verify

See Also