Microsoft KB Archive/124032

= PRJ: How Microsoft Project Sorts Text Fields =

Article ID: 124032

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Project 2000 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 98 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 4.1 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 4.1a
 * Microsoft Project 3.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 3.0a
 * Microsoft Project 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Project 3.0 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q124032



SUMMARY
Microsoft Project uses the "smart-sort" technique to sort data in text fields. This type of sort is not strictly an alphabetical one. If a string contains numbers, Microsoft Project treats those numbers as numeric values instead of treating them as their string equivalents.



Example (Ascending Sort Order)
String1: G35L

String2: G325L

When these values are sorted in Microsoft Project, string1 is above string2. In an alphabetical sort, string2 would be ordered above string1.

Microsoft Project starts an alphanumeric comparison by comparing the "G" of string1 to the "G" of string2. Because the next characters are numbers, Microsoft Project treats them as numeric values, and compares the number 35 to the number 325. The number 35 is less than the number 325, therefore Microsoft Project sorts string1 above string2.

Additional query words: prj2000 incorrect wrong bad 3.00a algorithm

Keywords: kbhowto kbusage KB124032

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