Bug: Items are not sorted naturally

danemacmillan

I make extensive use of Secure Notes for receipts, invoices, and applications. Some follow a numbered naming convention, so that they maintain the correct sort order. Nevertheless, natural sorting is not actually implemented in 1Password. This is true on both the MacOS desktop version and iOS version. Have a look at the attached screenshot.

Natural sort ordering should be implemented in 1Password.

Also, is this the right place to report a bug?

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1Password Version: 6.3.5
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: MacOS
Sync Type: iCloud

Pilar

Hi @danemacmillan

Thank you for getting in touch with us about this, this is for sure the right place to report bugs :chuffed: 1Password is actually doing what it's expected to here: it checks the first character and orders things according to that, then the second, and so on. If the first character that differs is a 7 in one and a 1 for another (as for 12) then the 1 will come before the 7. At least for now, 1Password will not sort cluster of characters as one thing. If you want to make sure your items have the correct order, I'd recommend you to try labelling them as "01, 02, 03..." Which will ensure all the "0" go before all the "1". Please let me know if you try this work around and if it does the trick for you :chuffed:

danemacmillan

1Password is actually doing what it's expected to here

Sure, it's doing what most computer languages do by default when they sort data. It's not doing what is popularly known as natural sorting, which is the way that people sort data. I'm people and I don't read data the same as a computer, and nor do you.

For example, when you sort by filename on your computer in Finder or in Windows Explorer, or really every kind of software that provides a UI for sorting data, the sorting algorithm is always using a natural sort, because that ability to sort is provided for the benefit of a person. Recommending I place a 0 in front of my numbered titles is a workaround and does not address the actual issue. Imagine this was reported to Windows or Apple, and they turn around and say, in so many words, "You're using our software wrong; place a zero in front." Let's be serious. Natural sorting should absolutely be the default in 1Password. It's universally accepted as the way to sort data; I can't name a piece of software used by the public at large that sorts in any way other than natural. It's the expectation. Please pass this to the devs, because the sorting algorithm being used should be that of a natural sort. It's people using your software, not computers.

Drew_AG

Thank you for your feedback, @danemacmillan! We truly appreciate it. Although I can't make any promises one way or the other about if/when we'll implement natural sorting, I can certainly forward your request to our developers.

Recommending I place a 0 in front of my numbered titles is a workaround and does not address the actual issue.

Hopefully we'll add natural sorting to 1Password at some point, but there's no timeframe for when that might happen. Therefore, Pilar tried to help by suggesting a workaround that would allow you to sort your items in your preferred order in the current version of 1Password. You certainly don't need to do that if you don't want to! ;)

Thanks again, and if you need anything else, just let us know. Cheers! :)